FOSTER Act

Summary#

This bill, called the Furthering Opioid Services, Training, and Education Resources Act (FOSTER Act), would change the 21st Century Cures Act to help State and local agencies that run children services respond to the opioid crisis. It adds a new grant purpose to support opioid abuse prevention and treatment services for children, caregivers, kinship care families, and kinship caregivers. The new grant activities listed include workforce recruitment and training; health care services (including services already listed in the law); and foster and adoptive parent recruitment and training. The bill defines "kinship care family" and "kinship caregiver." It also increases the amount authorized for the section and requires that 1 percent of the annual amount be used for the newly added grant purpose. The bill was introduced on November 21, 2025, and was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

What it means for you#

  • If you work for a State or local child services agency: the bill would add a grant purpose you could use to fund training, recruitment, and health services related to opioid-affected children and caregivers.
  • If you are a kinship caregiver, foster or adoptive parent, or part of a kinship care family: the bill would direct some federal grant funding toward services, training, and parent recruitment that target people in those roles.
  • If you are a member of the public: the bill changes how a specific federal grant program can be used and authorizes money for those purposes.

Expenses#

  • The bill adds an authorization of $255,000,000 for each fiscal year 2028 through 2033 for the relevant section of the 21st Century Cures Act.
  • The bill specifies that 1 percent of the annual amount for each fiscal year shall be made available to carry out the newly added grant purpose for supporting caregivers, kinship care families, and kinship caregivers.
  • No publicly available information on estimated budgetary effects beyond these authorizations.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.