A $2 million investment in older foster youth is worth celebrating. Now Congress must build on it.

By DR. MAGGIE STEVENS
Guest Columnist

Last month, Indiana received some very good news.

At the White House, First Lady Melania Trump announced that FOX Sports and IndyCar are contributing $2 million in scholarships for Indiana University and Purdue University students who have experienced foster care. The two universities also joined the First Lady’s Fostering the Future initiative, a national effort to expand educational opportunities for young adults transitioning out of foster care.

That investment deserves to be celebrated. For young people who leave foster care without the financial safety net many of their peers rely on, a scholarship can be the difference between enrolling in college and putting that dream on hold. It can mean fewer hours working while taking classes, greater housing stability, and one less financial obstacle standing between a student and their degree.

FOX Sports and IndyCar are making a meaningful investment in the futures of young Hoosiers. Now, Congress has an opportunity to build on that momentum.

Earlier this year, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the Fostering the Future Act, a bipartisan package of six proposals aimed at modernizing the federal John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood. The program provides states with resources to help young people who have experienced foster care navigate the transition into adulthood. The legislation was referred to the Senate Finance Committee in May and is awaiting further action.

Indiana lawmakers have helped these measures, and other related legislation move forward, especially Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-Ind.-02) and Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.-09).

These reforms are long overdue.

Among other changes, the legislation would make it easier for young people to access housing support, legal services, and assistance as expectant or parenting young adults. And importantly, it would modernize the Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program which helps young people who have experienced foster care pursue education after high school.

Two of the proposed changes to the ETV program could be particularly important for Indiana’s older foster youth pursuing their post-high school dreams.

The first recognizes that a college degree is not the only path to a successful career. The legislation would expand ETV eligibility to include more workforce and vocational training opportunities, including apprenticeships, career and technical education, GED programs, and other short-term training.

The second would increase the maximum annual ETV award from $5,000 to $12,000. The current cap has not increased since the program was created more than two decades ago, even as tuition, housing, transportation, and other costs have climbed dramatically.

At Foster Success, we see what happens when young people have access to the right resources at the right time. They enroll in college. They earn credentials. They begin careers. They find stable housing. They build relationships and communities. Most importantly, they gain the opportunity to make decisions about their futures based on their goals rather than on which basic need they can afford that month.

The $2 million investment announced at the White House will create opportunities for young people attending two of Indiana’s great universities. We should celebrate it, thank FOX Sports and IndyCar for making it possible, and hope it inspires other businesses and institutions to invest in young people who have experienced foster care.

But we should also recognize what it represents: a first step, not the last. Now, it’s up to the Senate to build off this progress.

Dr. Maggie Stevens, of Indianapolis, is the President & CEO of Foster Success. More information about Foster Success can be found at fostersuccess.org.