Children shouldn’t lose critical support just because they found a permanent home.

Every year, thousands of children leave foster care and finally find permanency through reunification, adoption, or guardianship.

And then… they lose support.

Right now, children in foster care automatically qualify for Head Start programs, regardless of income. But the moment they leave foster care, that eligibility disappears.

Nothing else changes.
Not their trauma.
Not their developmental delays.
Not their need for stability.

There are about 330,000 children in foster care in the United States, and over half a million experience it each year. This is a nationwide issue.  In North Carolina alone, more than 10,120  children have been in foster care in recent years. Many transition into permanent homes each year, but they still need the same early childhood support to succeed.

This policy creates a gap at the exact moment stability matters most.

The Fix Is Simple:

Amend the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. § 9835) to include:

by striking “children who are in foster care” and inserting:

“children who are currently in foster care or who have exited foster care through reunification with a parent or relative, placement with kin, legal custody, guardianship, or adoption following foster care, regardless of family income.”

Why This Matters:

• Supports school readiness and long-term success

• Promotes trauma-informed care

• Ensures continuity during critical developmental years

•Aligns with protections already in place for foster youth

Permanency should be a milestone, not a setback.

Children don’t stop needing support just because their placement changes.

 

Call to Action:

We are asking policymakers to take action and ensure former foster children continue to receive the support they deserve.

 

• Please sign this petition. 

• Share it.

Help us close this gap.

Because no child should lose opportunity the moment they gain a family.