Reforming Foster Care: A Home for Every Child

In this interview, Hannah talks with Alex Adams, Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services, about the urgent need to protect vulnerable children and keep the American Dream alive. Adams explains that the ACF manages about 60 programs and tens of billions of dollars for child care, Head Start, child welfare, foster care, and adoption. He says the real goal goes beyond just providing benefits. It is about ensuring public policy helps children escape poverty, supports stable families, and creates real opportunities for them to move up in life rather than becoming dependent.

Hannah shares her own experience with programs that supported her family growing up, showing how important it is for these systems to work well. Adams points out that the best safety net helps families without taking their place, and that the government should focus on supporting work, self-sufficiency, and strong families. He talks about his efforts to guide the ACF with these ideas, especially by helping states use federal funds to give children more opportunities and remove obstacles that hold them back.

A big part of the interview is about foster care. Adams warns that there are not enough foster homes for the children who need them. For every 100 children entering foster care, only about 57 homes are available. This means many states have to place children in hotels, short-term rentals, or government offices instead of with families. Adams explains that the administration is working to recruit more foster homes, keep fewer children from entering care unnecessarily, and update child welfare systems so states have better tools, data, and accountability. He also mentions President Trump’s executive order on foster youth, which First Lady Melania Trump strongly supported, as an important step toward cutting red tape and helping children in the system.

The interview also covers a troubling issue Adams has faced: many states take Social Security survivor benefits that belong to orphaned children in foster care. Adams calls this so-called orphan tax unfair because it lets states use the last support a deceased parent leaves to pay themselves back for foster care costs. He praises Nebraska for stopping this practice and urges other states to follow, saying these benefits should help vulnerable children build a stable future instead of being taken by the state.

Adams also talks about the fight against fraud and abuse in federal child welfare and child care programs. He points out that some states have failed to oversee these programs, letting money meant for poor children be stolen through fake businesses, false enrollments, and other scams. Adams says the administration is working to stop fraud, bring back accountability, and make sure states treat federal money as carefully as any other taxpayer resource. He also argues for cutting outdated rules, saying they often get in the way of good families, providers, and state reforms.

This interview gives a clear look at how the Trump administration wants to change children and family policy. Adams talks about foster care, child welfare, fighting fraud, and cutting unnecessary rules, all with a focus on strong families, honest government, and real chances for children. The main message is that protecting America’s children is about more than just funding programs. It is about making sure every child, no matter their situation, has a real chance at the American Dream.