夏威夷州重申承诺：寄养儿童的联邦遗属福利全额存入信托账户 不再冲抵养育成本
夏威夷州卫生服务部（DHS）10月23日发布公告，重申本州对保护寄养儿童社会保障遗属与残障福利的承诺：这笔钱属于孩子本人，不再被州政府用于冲抵寄养照护成本。
数十年来，包括夏威夷在内的多州一直把寄养儿童名下的联邦遗属福利金拿去报销州政府的养育开支。2023年，在州众议院第117号决议、参议院共同决议第188号和州长 Josh Green 的支持下，夏威夷结束了这一做法，把社会保障资金存入每个符合条件儿童名下的信托账户，供其成年独立时使用。
州长 Green 在声明中表示，夏威夷相信每个孩子都应享有尊严、稳定与本应属于他们的全部支持，本州数年前就已结束挪用遗属福利金的做法，这些资金属于孩子，保留它们意味着寄养青年步入成年时有更坚实的基础。此次公告正值联邦儿童与家庭管理局（ACF）推动全国终结所谓「孤儿税」之际，ACF 助理部长 Alex J. Adams 公开赞赏夏威夷的做法。DHS 局长 Joseph Campos II 表示，这些福利金将用于孩子成年后的教育、住房与交通。
来源：GSM·美国
Hawaii Reaffirms: Foster Youth Survivor Benefits Go Into Trust Accounts, Not Toward Care Costs
The Hawaii Department of Human Services (DHS) announced on October 23 that it is reaffirming the state's commitment to protecting Social Security survivor and disability benefits for children in foster care: the money belongs to the children themselves and is no longer used by the state to offset the cost of foster care.
For decades, many states, including Hawaii, used foster youths' federal survivor benefits to reimburse the state for care costs. In 2023, under House Resolution 117 and Senate Concurrent Resolution 188 and with Governor Josh Green's support, Hawaii ended the practice and began depositing the Social Security funds into trust accounts for each eligible child, to be available as they prepare for independence.
Governor Green said Hawaii believes every child deserves dignity, stability and the full support they are owed, that the state ended the outdated practice years ago, and that these funds belong to Hawaii's children, giving foster youth a stronger foundation as they step into adulthood. The announcement comes as the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF) highlights national momentum to end what Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams has called the “orphan tax,” and Adams praised Hawaii's approach. DHS Director Joseph Campos II said the funds will support education, housing and transportation as the youth enter adulthood.
Source: GSM·America
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：图：檀香山夏威夷州议会大厦。摄影：Cliff，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: the Hawaii State Capitol in Honolulu, by Cliff, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
