BOISE, ID — Idaho lawmakers and community partners helped raise more than $66,000 this holiday season to support youth and young adults currently in foster care, according to a news release from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

For the second consecutive year, members of the Idaho Legislature’s Republican Caucus helped spearhead a Christmas gift drive focused on older foster youth, raising funds that will be distributed in the form of gift cards. The effort was organized by Luisa Uribe-Holtzclaw and her husband, Rep. James Holtzclaw, R-Meridian, and more than tripled the amount raised during last year’s drive.

According to the department, donations totaled $66,000 and will benefit more than 300 youth between the ages of 16 and 23 who are currently in foster care. The release states there were 130 individual donations ranging from $12 to $40,000. Contributors included lawmakers, Idaho residents, the Republican Caucus, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Elite Property Management, and Idaho nonprofit Astegos.

The gift cards are intended to help youth meet essential needs as they prepare for adulthood, including expenses related to education, employment, and independent living. Department officials said the drive is one of the few in Idaho focused specifically on older foster youth.

Youth ages 18 to 23 may participate in Idaho’s Extended Foster Care Program, which was approved by the Legislature in 2021 and expanded to age 23 during the most recent legislative session. The program provides support for housing, education, employment, and life skills through the state’s Independent Living Program.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare also reported progress in its broader efforts to strengthen foster care statewide. Since June 2025, the department has worked to increase the number of foster families, raising the ratio from 75 foster parents per 100 children to 103 per 100, with a goal of reaching 150 foster families per 100 children in care.

Department officials thanked lawmakers, organizers, and community partners for their contributions and support of youth in foster care across Idaho.