Dem Governor Lauds Trump Executive Order That Expands Help for Foster Children

A new executive order from President Trump gives broader authority to the Department of Health and Human Services to provide support for foster children.

According to The Washington Examiner:

Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards has praised a recent executive order issued by President Donald Trump directing the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department to further assist foster care children.

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“We are grateful to President Trump and his administration for their commitment to strengthening and improving America’s foster care system through this executive order,” Edwards said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing to work closely with our partners at the federal level to set more adoption records in Louisiana and find permanent homes for our children.”

The order bolstering partnerships among state and local organizations has received the support of Republican governors (Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Texas) and Democratic governors (Kansas, Louisiana, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island), according to HHS. The department says it plans to follow up with 20 more states, asking their governments to work more with non-profits.

More than 400,000 children are currently in the foster care system. Among them, more than 124,000 children are waiting for adoption, with nearly 6 out of 10 (58.4 percent) already legally eligible for adoption.

President Trump has made it a major focus of his administration to promote adoption.