Madison Washington has spent most of her 23 years navigating life without the safety net most young adults take for granted. She aged out of Georgia’s foster care system with no parents to call for help, no family home to return to on school breaks, and no financial cushion to fall back on. What she did have was ambition — and, thanks to Georgia’s Foster Care Tax Credit, the support to turn that ambition into a career.

Washington graduates in May from Savannah State University with a degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management. She plans to pursue a graduate degree so she can specialize in tracking cybercriminals. Her fascination with terrorism policy, FEMA operations, and the criminal justice system started with crime shows on TV. But her ability to turn that spark into a profession came from something far more concrete: a grant from the nonprofit Fostering Success Act (FSA), which distributes the state’s foster care tax credit funds.

Those grants cover the essentials that often derail former foster youth long before they reach a college classroom — transportation, tutoring, groceries, medical bills, even a laptop. Washington had been working her way through her college years, but with the FSA grants covering her basic needs this final year, she no longer has to work as many hours to stay afloat. For Washington, the support meant she could focus on her coursework instead of scrambling to pay for gas or skipping meals to afford textbooks. “I don’t feel so much pressure,” she says. “I can focus on my coursework — and my future.”

Her story is exactly what lawmakers envisioned when they expanded Georgia’s foster care tax credit to $30 million this year. The program allows taxpayers — from corporations to LLCs to individual filers — to redirect a portion of their state income taxes to help young adults who have aged out of foster care pursue college, technical school, apprenticeships, or a GED. Between now and the end of June, married couples can contribute up to $5,000, individuals up to $2,500, and corporations up to 30 percent of their annual tax liability. Beginning July 1^st, tax credit applications can be submitted for any amount. In return, they receive a dollarfordollar reduction in their state income taxes.

It’s a rare opportunity: a tax credit that simultaneously reduces a filer’s tax burden and invests directly in Georgia’s workforce.

And the need could not be more urgent.

Each year, more than 600 young adults age out of Georgia’s foster care system. Most leave with no family support, no financial resources, and no roadmap for adulthood. The Annie E. Casey Foundation reports that one in five will be incarcerated by age 19. Many more will experience homelessness, poverty, or exploitation. These outcomes are not the result of lack of talent or drive — they are the predictable consequences of entering adulthood entirely alone.

Georgia currently has nearly 11,000 children and youth in foster care. Without intervention, hundreds will age out each year into instability. The FSA tax credit is designed to interrupt that cycle by giving former foster youth the same opportunities other young adults receive from their families: help with rent, transportation, food, school supplies, and — perhaps most importantly — encouragement.

Since its inception, FSA has served 766 young adults with taxcredit funds, making it possible for them to attend college or technical school, enroll in apprenticeship programs, or obtain their GED. It pairs financial support with mentorship, ensuring these young adults have someone in their corner to help them navigate everything from financial aid forms to job interviews. 

For Georgia’s business community, the tax credit is more than a charitable option — it’s a strategic investment. These young adults represent a pipeline of future employees, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. Supporting them strengthens the state’s talent pool and reduces longterm public costs associated with homelessness, incarceration, and unemployment.

May is National Foster Care Month, a time when child welfare agencies highlight the needs of children in foster care and the challenges facing those who age out. In Georgia, it’s also a reminder that we have a powerful tool to change those outcomes

Madison Washington is proof that when Georgia invests in its foster youth, they invest back — in their education, in their communities, and in the state’s future.

To redirect your Georgia state income taxes through the FSA tax credit and support youth like Madison, visit: https://fosteringsuccessact.org/apply-now/

Carr is executive director of Fostering Success Act, Inc., the largest nonprofit raising funds and serving youth through Georgia’s foster care tax credit.