During a recent Senate confirmation hearing, senators urged Rick May, the Trump administration’s nominee to lead the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), to make firm commitments on strengthening the child welfare system—particularly foster care.
Rick May, who has a background as a senior advisor in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and also served as a congressional staffer, pledged to prioritize improvements to the foster care system. He emphasized that his top goal would be to reduce the number of children entering care by addressing root causes within families and communities. May also said he would work on enhancing support for those already in the system.
Several senators, particularly from the Senate Finance Committee, questioned May on how he plans to handle long-standing challenges, such as delays in foster care placements and lack of resources for kinship caregivers. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) pressed May to move beyond vague promises and commit to specific strategies. Wyden highlighted the need for stronger federal support and accountability to states that lag in performance.
May stopped short of offering detailed policy changes but assured lawmakers that he would collaborate with both parties, state leaders, and child welfare professionals to drive progress. He also acknowledged that the pandemic’s aftershocks continue to affect vulnerable families and emphasized the importance of community-based solutions.
If confirmed, May would oversee programs impacting millions of children and families, including child protection services, Head Start, and child support enforcement. His nomination arrives at a critical time when youth homelessness, family instability, and strained foster care systems demand urgent attention.