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Ownership turns the principle of individual liberty into a substantive reality. For children in foster care, this is especially important. America can offer services, help, and protection, but real freedom means being able to make independent choices about your own future. Property ownership helps make that possible.
When they turn eighteen, foster youth will be able to access the assets they own through Fostering the Future Accounts. This will give them a foundation for independence and opportunity.
For Fostering the Future youth, empowerment comes through ownership. This includes ownership of knowledge through education and now ownership through savings and investment accounts. Education and savings accounts are the first steps toward personal independence.
Fostering the Future accounts help create the conditions where liberty can flourish. Success is not about how many benefits a person receives, but rather about how much independence they achieve.
Starting today, the Treasury will let state child welfare agencies and foster youth representatives set up Fostering the Future Accounts for children in foster care.
We already have measurable results: 23 governors have pledged to set up Fostering the Future Accounts in their States—including Governor Little from Idaho who is here with us today. Thank you, Governor.
Now is the time for everyone to act. All 50 states should pledge to protect America’s foster youth. Let’s elevate America’s children above politics.
I urge every governor and business leader in America to help fund these accounts. Together, we can make sure foster youth enter adulthood with assets, opportunity, and a stronger path to independence.
This is a historic moment for our nation. We should aspire to raise a generation of builders, creators, entrepreneurs, and leaders whose futures are shaped by their ambition, not their circumstances. A strong education and financial assets will give them tools for a lifetime.
She finished her remarks at 11:23am.
Bessent thanked her and her leadership through Fostering the Future, saying “we are embedding foster youth into the fabric of this program from the outset.”
The Treasury secretary ended his remarks at 11:30am.
No questions were taken.
Diana Nerozzi
POLITICO
Thu. Jun. 11, 11:31 AM
https://x.com/WHPressPool/status/2065107170128003520

White House Press Pool Reports @WHPressPool - FLOTUS pool report #1 — Fostering the future accounts event
Melania Trump's event launching Fostering the Future Accounts began at 11:17am.
The event is being held in the Treasury building with approximately 120 people in attendance, including members of foster care organizations, Treasury, HHS and OMB staffers.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent began remarks, inviting Melania Trump to the stage.
For context, the Fostering the Future Accounts are technically Trump Accounts, authorized by the One Big Beautiful Bill. Melania Trump worked with the Treasury, HHS and OMB to allow state, territorial, and tribal welfare agencies to open accounts for children in foster care, who do not have another legal guardian.
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