Hundreds of Georgia youths turn 18 and exit the foster system each year. Left without a support system, most of these young adults end up living in chronic poverty. The Fostering Success Act, signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp in 2022, aims to change this outcome. By creating a tax credit program, Georgians can now help fund the educational journeys of unadopted young adults.
Young adults exiting the foster system face a number of challenges, because they often have nowhere to get support after turning 18. That’s according to Heidi Carr, Executive Director of Fostering Success Act, Inc.
“97% of them will wind up in chronic poverty or worse without some sort of support network. Only 3% of youth who were in foster care will actually get a college degree,” says Carr.
Her organization is funded by the Fostering Success Act, which allows Georgia tax payers to dedicate their tax dollars to former foster kids and their educational goals. She says the nonprofit does everything from filling out financial aid applications to finding housing to paying for transportation.
Shalom Osoba is a former foster youth who will graduate from the University of Georgia on Friday. He says Fostering Success Act Inc. helped him pay for rent and buy groceries.
“They were able to help me have ease of my mind, to know, I can just go to school, take care of my classes, take care of my education, and not have to worry,” says Osoba.
More information about the Fostering Success Act can be found at fosteringsuccessact.org .
