Delozier: House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Protect Financial Benefits Belonging to Foster Youth

September 28, 2026

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives today voted to pass House Bill 151, bipartisan legislation that would ensure foster youth receive and retain the federal financial benefits that are rightfully theirs. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Sheryl M. Delozier (R-Cumberland) and Rep. Rick Krajewski (D-Philadelphia), would address longstanding concerns about how counties have handled Social Security survivors’ benefits, SSI, veterans’ benefits, and other federal supports intended for children in state care. For years, many foster youths in Pennsylvania have been unaware they qualify for these benefits, and unaware that counties were applying for and collecting the funds on their behalf.

Since 2020, more than 1,300 foster youth in Pennsylvania have had money taken from them, totaling more than $15.7 million. Nearly every county in the Commonwealth has collected these benefits, and more than a quarter of agencies were unable to show that the money had been spent on the children it belonged to.

“I’m proud to have worked in a bipartisan manner to secure support for House Bill 151,” said Delozier. “Across the aisle, we agree that foster youth deserve to receive what is rightfully theirs, giving them a stronger and more stable foundation as they enter adulthood.

“This legislation sends a clear message that Pennsylvania is committed to protecting every child in its care. No young person should age out of the system without the financial support that was

meant to help them succeed. The legislation approved today is a meaningful step toward fairness, accountability, and better outcomes for foster youth.”

Critically, Delozier and Krajewski’s legislation would end the practice of counties absorbing foster youth benefits into their budgets. Instead, those funds would be placed into a dedicated savings account that the child can access as they transition into adulthood.

Several other states, including Arizona, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington, D.C., have already taken steps to protect these benefits. With the passage of House Bill 151, Pennsylvania is poised to join them in prioritizing the financial security of foster youth.

House Bill 151 now advances to the Senate for consideration. For questions about the bill, please contact Delozier’s office at 717-761-4665.

Representative Sheryl Delozier
88th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives