Villanova University is a top partner in first lady's initiative for former foster youth

WASHINGTON (OSV News) -- President Donald Trump on Nov. 13 signed an executive order aiming to provide more resources to young adults transitioning out of the foster care system, an effort the White House said was organized by first lady Melania Trump.

The first lady and the White House named Villanova University, an Augustinian Catholic institution, as among the "distinguished participating universities" in the effort.

A spokesperson for Villanova did not immediately respond to a request for comment from OSV News. Villanova is also Pope Leo XIV's alma mater.

The order, titled, “Fostering the Future for American Children and Families," directs the creation of a public-private partnership to provide scholarships, job training and entry-level job placement to young adults who were previously children in the foster care system.

"Too many people from (the) foster care community end up homeless, in danger on America’s streets," Melania Trump said at a signing ceremony at the White House.

The effort, she said, would "provide individuals from the foster care community with technology-based scholarships to attend colleges and universities throughout America."

"Fostering the Future sets these individuals on their career paths, but more significantly, it equips each scholarship recipient with a fundamental foundation of knowledge that will endure throughout their lifetimes," she said.

President Trump credited the first lady with spearheading the effort, saying in his own remarks, "All of this has been made possible by Melania's incredible devotion to America's youth."

"Each year, more than 15,000 young people age out of the foster care system, and unfortunately, too many struggle to become self-sufficient," President Trump said, arguing his executive order would "provide vital new resources to help young people transition out of the foster care system and live a very happy and very successful life."

According to data from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, on any given day in the U.S., over 368,000 children are living in the foster care system. In 2022, 18,538 -- about 9% -- were "emancipated," from the system, or aged out when they reached 18.

Among its directives, the executive order calls for "Maximizing Partnerships with Americans of Faith," directing the secretary of Health and Human Services -- "in coordination with the Director of the White House Faith Office and the Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs" -- to "take appropriate action to address State and local policies and practices that inappropriately prohibit participation" in foster care over "sincerely-held religious beliefs or moral convictions," and to "increase partnerships between agencies and faith-based organizations and houses of worship to serve families whose children have been placed in foster care or are at risk of being placed in foster care."

The Bipartisan Policy Center was among the groups that praised the effort, arguing it would help address "the critical yet overlooked challenges faced by foster youth as they transition to adulthood."

"Improving outcomes for foster youth is a bipartisan imperative," the group said in a statement. "We hope to see Congress build on this momentum and look forward to working with policymakers from both parties to advance meaningful reforms."