A Savannah State University student Sydney Scott is beating the odds.

A young adult who aged out of the state’s foster care system two years ago, Sydney is pursuing a master’s degree in social work and dedicating her life to helping others. Thanks to Georgia’s new foster care tax credit, she is doing what few other former foster youths have accomplished — completing post-graduate work in a high-demand field.

This spring, the Georgia Legislature expanded the state’s foster care tax credit to enable more taxpayers to donate to state-approved organizations like Fostering Success Act, Inc. (FSA), that help youth such as Sydney pursue their academic and professional dreams.

In exchange for donations, Georgians get a tax credit on their state income taxes. FSA monies raised through the foster care tax credit pay for a host of services for former youth in foster care ranging from healthcare to housing to school supplies, computers and even car repairs and automobile insurance costs.

Each year more than 700 young adults age out of Georgia’s foster care system – including many in coastal Georgia. With no blood relatives to help, many live on low-wage hourly jobs and government assistance, or even worse, become part of our crime statistics.

The vast majority of former foster kids can never afford a secondary education, making their path to high-paying jobs and careers much tougher. But it doesn’t have to be that way. 

We are celebrating students such as Sydney as some grant recipients have just graduated and are now moving on to the next chapter of their lives.

“These grants are an absolute blessing,” said Sydney, who worked during her initial years in college and had a difficult time keeping her grades up. Now that she is in graduate school, the grants are helping her to stay focused on her studies and not worry about working to survive.

FSA seeks to give these former foster youth, aged 18 to 26, the same opportunities as any young adult with a family support system.

Capped at $20 million cumulatively around the state, the tax credit has no current limit on donations for Georgia taxpayers after July 1. And it’s a great way for Georgia taxpayers of all income levels and filing status - including Georgia businesses -- to reduce their state tax burden while at the same time helping some of those most in need in our state.

After July 1 of this year, single taxpayers, married couples or businesses can allocate as much as their entire state tax obligation to the credit – basically getting a dollar-for-dollar credit on their state income taxes and eliminating their state income tax burden. 

In 2026, the cap on donations will rise to $30 million so even more Georgians can donate to the program.

Data from numerous national studies show that an estimated 55,000 young adults – especially former foster kids – become homeless annually, costing society an estimated $89 billion each year to pay for everything from food stamps to prison costs.

That’s why everyone has a stake in the future of these young adults who age out of foster care. And Georgia’s pioneering tax credit is a path to success for these young adults as well as taxpayers.

If enough coastal Georgia businesses and taxpayers take advantage of this new tax credit program and help former foster youth at the same time, our state just might become the national example of how to stop the cycle of poverty and give foster kids real hope.

To start the process to apply for the Georgia foster care tax credit go to: https://fosteringsuccessact.org/start-the-process/tax-credit/

Bert Brantley is President and CEO of the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce and former Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. Brian Kemp. Heidi Carr is the Executive Director of Fostering Success Act, Inc. (FSA), a Georgia non-profit devoted to assisting foster care youth who age out of foster care by helping Georgia individuals and corporate taxpayers get approval from the state Department of Revenue for their tax credit to FSA.