ACF and Treasury Release Updated Guidance to Help States Implement Fostering the Future Accounts

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, today released a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to help states, territories, and tribes establish and administer Fostering the Future Accounts - a historic initiative led by First Lady Melania Trump that empowers foster youth to build long-term financial security and wealth.

"Thanks to the leadership of First Lady Melania Trump, foster youth now have access to an opportunity that can help them build a strong financial foundation for their future," said ACF Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams. "Today's updated guidance will help states move from planning to action so eligible youth can begin building wealth that can support education, workforce training, homeownership, and other major life milestones."

"Fostering the Future Accounts will ensure that youth in foster care will have a direct stake in the American Dream from day one," said Treasury Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions Luke Pettit. "We are proud to be working alongside First Lady Melania Trump and ACF on this historic initiative."

With bipartisan support from 26 states already pledging to establish Fostering the Future Accounts, the new guidance is designed to accelerate commitments nationwide. Following ACF and Treasury's initial joint guidance released in June, both agencies engaged in various listening sessions and one-on-one conversations with governors' offices and child welfare jurisdictions to learn what additional questions were top-of-mind. Today's updated FAQ aggregates hours of feedback to provide additional clarity as jurisdictions establish, contribute to, and maintain Fostering the Future Accounts.

New FAQ highlights include:

• Establishing and administering Fostering the Future Accounts.
• Available funding sources, including federal funds and private contributions.
• Fostering the Future Accounts eligibility, management, transfer, and withdrawal considerations.

To further support implementation, tomorrow ACF will be launching the National Fostering the Future Accounts Advancement Center to provide technical assistance tailored to the needs of states, territories, and tribes. ACF and Treasury will host a webinar for this launch at 12:00pm ET tomorrow, Tuesday, August 4, 2026. More information on how to register for the webinar can be found at FTFAAC Meeting Registration .