For Trump, “Fostering the Future” Looks a Lot Like the Past | The New Yorker

First Lady Melania Trump’s new initiative, “Fostering the Future,” seeks to improve opportunities for youth aging out of the foster-care system, aiming to address the challenges faced by over 15,000 young adults annually. Despite its positive reception compared to her earlier “Be Best” campaign—which was criticized for its perceived hypocrisy given her husband’s history of cyberbullying—Trump’s initiative is marred by underlying issues, particularly the executive order he signed which echoes regressive policies.

In a press conference, Trump boasted about the initiative’s potential to help foster youth become “wealthy, productive citizens,” yet his remarks about faith-based organizations indicate a troubling return to past practices. He implied that state policies hinder Christian families from becoming foster parents, thus promoting a framework that discriminates against LGBTQ+ youth within the foster system. This approach risks reinforcing existing vulnerabilities among these youth, rather than safeguarding their rights.

The executive order explicitly favors partnerships with faith-based organizations, even those that exhibit discriminatory practices against queer and trans foster youth. LGBTQ+ youth are disproportionately represented in the foster care population and often face heightened risks of victimization and abuse. Survey findings reveal that these youth are more likely to be placed in problematic living situations, exacerbated by the fact that many foster agencies may reject their identities based on religious beliefs.

Historically, America’s child welfare system has struggled with discrimination, especially against marginalized groups. The administration’s move to protect faith-based organizations’ rights—including their ability to receive federal funding while practicing discriminatory policies—threatens to reproduce the systemic failures of the past. Past lawsuits regarding discriminatory practices in foster care underscore the ongoing civil rights issues at stake present within the current framework.

As the Biden administration looked to advance protections for LGBTQ+ youth in foster care, the implications of Trump’s initiatives remain daunting. The promise of “Fostering the Future” risks further entrenching harmful practices that prioritize religious beliefs over the well-being of vulnerable youth, echoing a long-standing pattern of neglect within the system that continues to affect those it was meant to protect.