Kansas is the first Midwest state to stop using foster youths’ federal benefits to cover their care costs. A new executive order signed by Governor Laura Kelly in January directs the Department for Children and Families (DCF) to protect these funds for the youth who are eligible.

Across the U.S., between 40,000 and 80,000 foster children receive Social Security benefits, such as disability or survivor payments. These can total over $900 a month. In many states, agencies have used that money to pay for foster care services, rather than saving it for the children.

Kansas now joins a small group of states—including California, Maryland, and Oregon—that have acted to protect these benefits. Under the new policy, DCF must screen all foster youth for eligibility, notify them or their guardians, and set up accounts to safeguard the funds. Youths aged 14 and up will also receive financial counseling.

The goal is to help foster youth build savings and better prepare for adulthood, especially as many face financial struggles when they age out of the system.