119th (2025–2027)
S. 5096
The Support for Expectant and Parenting Foster Youth Act amends federal law to improve services for youth who have experienced foster care and are now pregnant or parenting. The bill requires states to connect these young people with evidence-based home visiting and support services that are already available through the federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, and mandates that states have processes in place to inform eligible youth about these services. The legislation also expands the types of services states can provide to expectant and parenting youth in the foster care transition program, specifically allowing for tailored case management and resource coordination. The bill affects states receiving federal foster care funding and the young people they serve, particularly those experiencing parenthood while aging out of the foster care system. The amendments take effect one year after the bill becomes law and apply to federal payments made under approved state plans after that date, though no specific new funding amount is designated in the text.