Gov. Greg Gianforte was in Bozeman Thursday, joined by U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner, to talk about the challenges facing youth transitioning out of foster care.(Watch the video to hear more on Thu rsday's roundtable.) Gianforte, HUD secretary hold roundtable on youth transitioning out of foster careGianforte and Turner held a roundtable at Montana State University, meeting with former foster youth, service providers and other stakeholders. Two of the people they heard from were Kyla Boggess and Angela Cornell, both former foster youth from Missoula.We know we have a broken system; we know that it needs to be fixed, Boggess told reporters after the event. I think the first step to actually fixing it is for people who have lived those experiences to be able to speak to the policymakers and the people that are in charge of these decisions for youth like we were.I just hope there's a straight-across understanding of what we need and what everybody else is going to need moving out of the foster system, Cornell said.One of the main topics of discussion Thursday was HUDs Foster Youth to Independence program, a priority of First Lady Melania Trump. It provides Housing Choice Vouchers to help people aging out of foster care get secure housing.This is an issue that is no longer going to be in the background, but it's now in the forefront, Turner told reporters. Boggess says the vouchers gave her the financial assistance she needed to get herself and her child away from an unstable relationship.Now since I'm not in that type of environment, I'm able to go to school, I'm able to have a meaningful job, and I'm able to not have to worry about things that would hinder that process, she said.Youth receiving vouchers are also required to get services aimed at helping them become more self-sufficient.I don't know if people tend to forget, but the youth in foster care, they're in foster care for a reason, Boggess said. They don't have parents to teach them what every other child with parents would be expected to learn, which is financial literacy, financial education, learning how to do basic life skills. So these programs are very important for youth that don't have the resources to be able to learn these otherwise.FYI vouchers are provided through public housing agencies. In Montana, three agencies are currently participating, in Missoula, Butte and Billings. Theyve administered about 40 of the vouchers so far.Gianforte said leaders hope to find ways to expand availability.We have to figure out how to do more to make sure these young people will land on their feet and can pursue the American dream, just like every other Montanan, he said.A HUD spokesperson told MTN, since this program began in 2019, about $550,000 has been awarded in Montana. ...read more read less