夏威夷州重申保护寄养青少年社会保障金，专户资金归青少年本人所有
夏威夷州檀香山市县檀香山市消息，夏威夷州10月26日重申，州政府将继续保护寄养青少年的联邦社会保障金，确保相关资金归青少年本人所有，而非用于冲抵州政府的照护开支。根据州众议院117号决议和州参议院188号共同决议确立的立法框架，夏威夷州已于2023年正式停止把寄养青少年的遗属福利转用于报销州照护费用。
自2023年7月1日起，夏威夷州人类服务部开始为寄养青少年逐人设立信托账户，系统维护这些账户，确保资金透明并可由受益人使用。符合条件的寄养青少年现可直接使用本人的联邦残障或遗属福利，为将来脱离州照护体系后的生活提供经济基础。
州政府表示，这一做法标志着美国各州在对待弱势儿童联邦福利问题上的文化和法律转变，越来越多州不再收回本应属于儿童的联邦福利。
Hawaii Reaffirms Protection of Foster Youth Social Security Benefits, With Trust Funds Belonging to the Youth
HONOLULU, Hawaii — Hawaii reaffirmed on October 26 that the state will continue protecting the federal Social Security benefits of foster youth, ensuring the funds belong to the young people themselves rather than being used to offset the state's care costs. Under the legislative framework established by House Resolution 117 and Senate Concurrent Resolution 188, Hawaii formally ended in 2023 the practice of redirecting foster youth survivor benefits to reimburse state care expenses.
Since July 1, 2023, the Hawaii Department of Human Services has set up individual trust accounts for foster youth and systematically maintains them, keeping the funds transparent and accessible to the beneficiaries. Eligible foster youth can now directly use their own federal disability or survivor benefits, providing an economic foundation for life after they leave state care.
The state says the approach marks a cultural and legal shift among U.S. states on the federal benefits of vulnerable children, as more states stop reclaiming benefits that belong to the children.
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：图：夏威夷州议会大厦。照片：Farragutful，CC BY-SA 4.0，经维基共享资源。 / The Hawaii State Capitol in Honolulu. Photo: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
