The Foster Care Stabilization Act of 2026 establishes a federal demonstration grant program to support foster youth by providing emergency relief and improving services before children enter the foster care system. The bill authorizes three grants of up to $1 million each to foster care stabilization agencies—local public or nonprofit organizations with experience serving foster children—to help cover immediate needs like clothing, food, and other necessities (capped at $250 per youth annually), as well as to hire staff and prevent child abuse. Grant recipients will have three years to spend the funds, and the program targets rural areas, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations in its outreach efforts. The Department of Health and Human Services will reserve $45,000 for program administration and must report to Congress on how the grants were used, case outcomes for youth served, and placement histories. The program will be funded through increases in existing foster care appropriations that exceed $5 million above the previous year's amount.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.