President Donald Trump signed an executive order Nov. 13 aimed at bolstering support for teens aging out of the foster care system and protecting Christian parents’ rights to foster and adopt children without affirming gender identity polices that violate their Biblical beliefs.
“With the order that we’re doing today, we’re taking [on] the ridiculous woke policies that discriminate against Christians and families of faith,” Trump said before signing the order, titled: “Fostering The Future For American Children And Families.”
“As president, I will always stand for … religious liberty. We stand for religious liberty. The Bible tells us that one of the measures of any society is how it cares for vulnerable children and orphans. It’s so important and it’s so big in the Bible. As we make America great again, we are going to protect American children in foster care and we are going to make sure that these children are never ever forgotten.”
Kristen Waggoner, Alliance Defending Freedom CEO, president and chief counsel, praised the Trump administration’s advocacy for foster care and adoption.
“Our nation’s foster care system is in crisis,” she said. “Vulnerable children are being placed in hospitals, police stations, and institutions to help fill the gap. As numerous states have attested, religious families play a critical role in the foster-care system. Yet instead of inviting these loving parents from diverse backgrounds to help care for kids, government officials are shutting the door on them because of their commonly held religious beliefs, putting their ideological agenda ahead of the needs of suffering kids.
“We applaud the Trump administration for taking important steps to protect the constitutional rights of religious foster parents, open the doors to more qualified and loving families, and ensure that children have every opportunity to thrive and achieve success. We eagerly join the president’s efforts on behalf of every precious child in the foster care system.”
The order also launches First Lady Melania Trump’s “Fostering the Future” initiative, which aims to secure educational opportunities and scholarships for children in foster care as part of her “Be Best” campaign. Melania said that the University of Miami, Villanova University and Vanderbilt University are among the first academic institutions to partner in her initiative.
“The president has prioritized America’s foster care children,” the first lady said. “Too many people from the foster care community end up homeless and in danger on America’s streets.
“Together, we will illuminate the pathway for today’s foster children to become tomorrow’s builders. And tomorrow’s builders will foster the future of America’s legacy.”
Charell Star, a former foster youth and vice president of New York City’s chapter of Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, expressed optimism about the order’s promising impact during an appearance on NewsNation’s “Morning in America.”
“Any attention on the needs of youth who are aging out of care—20,000 youth age out of care every year— around 50% of them end up homeless,” she said. “Any awareness, any push to help these youth not end up homeless and have stability in their lives is really important, and something that I support.”
The signing ceremony, held at the White House, underscores the administration’s focus on protecting children and families, aligning with broader pro-life principles that emphasize care and opportunity for the most vulnerable.
“Under this major new initiative, great American companies and institutions will be signing a pledge to invest in teaching, training and mentoring America’s youth who are transitioning out of the foster care system,” Trump said. “This will help provide jobs, education and personal development opportunities to fantastic young people who truly need and deserve them.
Describing faith-based nonprofits as “the nation’s most trusted institutions interacting with the foster care system,” Trump said that Christians are more than twice as likely to foster care and adopt than the general population.
“Under the Trump administration, we believe that every American child deserves a safe and loving home and we’re determined to support the amazing families who help make that happen.”
