Baton Rouge, LA— Louisiana is taking significant steps to improve the lives of children in foster care, Governor Jeff Landry announced Tuesday. The state is joining President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump’s Foster Care initiative and enacting measures to protect financial benefits for foster youth.
Governor Landry, alongside Alex J. Adams, Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), and Rebecca Harris, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), detailed the actions at a press conference today. These include the signing of a proclamation, “A Home for Every Child,” and an executive order safeguarding Social Security survivor benefits earned by children in foster care.
“Louisiana is proud to be one of the first states to join President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump’s Foster Care initiative,” Governor Landry said. “Our actions today focus on two priorities: ensuring children have safe, stable homes and protecting financial benefits that rightfully belong to them.” He emphasized that protecting the most vulnerable has been a top priority for his administration since day one, and that joining the initiative will provide every child in Louisiana with the opportunity to grow up in a safe environment.
Assistant Secretary Adams commended Governor Landry’s leadership, stating, “By joining ‘A Home for Every Child’ and taking swift action to preserve the earned survivor benefits that rightfully belong to foster youth, Louisiana is ensuring children have both safe homes and the resources they need to succeed.” Adams expressed gratitude for the partnership with Louisiana, predicting that the actions taken will deliver real results for children and families throughout the state.
Secretary Harris added, “Children do not experience time the way systems do. Every day in foster care matters. ‘A Home for Every Child’ calls us to ensure there is a home ready for every child that must enter foster care, to eliminate the bureaucracy that stands between children and families, and to use clear, measurable data to track our progress. Louisiana will act with urgency so that no child waits for safety, stability, or permanency. I am deeply committed to advancing this work for the children of our state.”
The ACF’s “A Home for Every Child” initiative aims to improve the ratio of available foster homes to the number of children in the foster care system. The initiative focuses on creating a faster, more efficient pathway to permanency for children in foster care while ensuring a safe foster home is available for every child in need.
The executive order signed by Governor Landry addresses a historical issue where some states have redirected Social Security survivor benefits – funds earned by families and intended for children who have lost parents – to offset agency costs, a practice sometimes referred to as the “orphan tax.” Many foster youth are unaware they are entitled to these benefits or that the funds may be diverted while in state custody. The order ensures that Louisiana foster youth will retain access to their earned survivor benefits, which can be used to support education, savings, housing, and a successful transition into adulthood.
This initiative comes as Louisiana continues to address the needs of its rural communities. Just last month, the Louisiana Department of Health announced it will receive over $208 million through the Rural Health Transformation Program, established under President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts legislation. This funding is intended to improve access to healthcare and healthcare delivery across the state, particularly in rural parishes.
The state’s commitment to improving outcomes for vulnerable children and strengthening healthcare access signals a broader effort to support families and communities across Louisiana.
