Haley Ferguson, First Lady Melania Trump’s guest at President Donald Trump’s recent congressional address, is beating the odds. Having been in foster care, the cards were stacked against Ferguson, as they are against all young people who live through the instability of being part of the child welfare system. But Ferguson's future looks bright, thanks in part to the support she has received, including in the form of a college scholarship from the First Lady.

Across the country there are about 368,000 children living in foster care. Hundreds of thousands of other children receive services through the child welfare system so that they can stay safely with their families. They all need support to succeed, and they all rely on federal government funded programs. We hope they can all count on those programs and services continuing — their futures depend on it.

As leaders of two nonprofit organizations with a combined nearly 350-year track record of serving children and families facing significant challenges, we have seen firsthand what happens when the federal........

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