A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Foster Care Stabilization Act of 2026 aims to amend title IV of the Social Security Act. It establishes a demonstration grant program designed to provide emergency relief to foster youth. These funds are intended to improve pre-placement services offered by foster care stabilization agencies. The Secretary will award three demonstration grants of up to $1,000,000 each to these agencies. Agencies must use the funds within three years or return the remaining balance.
Yes· 3 of 7
- Scored +7
Would children be better off under this?
The bill provides emergency relief, clothing, food, and protection from abuse for foster youth.
- Scored +5
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?
The bill's definition of foster youth includes individuals up to 26 years of age, providing them with emergency assistance.
- Scored +5
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill provides essential resources like food and clothing to vulnerable youth in the foster care system.
The opposite
- Scored -1
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill establishes a new grant program which increases federal spending through demonstration grants.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Emergency Relief for Foster Youth: Grants can be used for hiring personnel to ensure services, resources, and assistance reach youth (Section 2, subsection 5A).
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Basic Needs for Youth: The bill allows for the provision of clothing and other personal necessities up to $250 per foster youth, per year (Section 2, subsection 5B).
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Food Security: Funds can be used to purchase food and the equipment required to prepare food for foster youth (Section 2, subsection 5C).
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Safety and Protection: The grant provides for service and support to prevent and respond to child abuse and neglect (Section 2, subsection 5D).
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General Safety and Self-Sufficiency: Funds can be used for extraordinary or emergency assistance to promote the safety and self-sufficiency of foster youth (Section 2, subsection 5E).
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Increased Accessibility for Specific Communities: The Secretary is required to make special dissemination efforts for grant applications to rural areas, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations (Section 2, subsection 4).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Time Constraints on Funding: Foster care stabilization agencies that receive a grant have only 3 years to spend the awarded funds or they must return any unused money to the Secretary (Section 2, subsection 2).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would children be better off under this? — The bill provides emergency relief, clothing, food, and protection from abuse for foster youth. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill provides essential resources like food and clothing to vulnerable youth in the foster care system. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — The bill's definition of foster youth includes individuals up to 26 years of age, providing them with emergency assistance. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill requires special dissemination efforts for grant applications to Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill requires special dissemination efforts to ensure rural areas can access the grant applications.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill provides for the provision of clothing, personal necessities, and food to foster youth to promote self-sufficiency.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill allows grant funds to be used for the hiring of personnel to provide emergency relief to foster youth. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill establishes a new grant program which increases federal spending through demonstration grants.
- 2/9/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
John HickenlooperDemocrat · Colorado