Number of Youth Served by Fostering Success Act Jumps Almost 350 Percent

Groundbreaking Georgia Tax Credit Program is Rewriting the Future for Hundreds of Young People Aging out of Foster Care

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fostering Success Act, Inc. (FSA), the largest non-profit that raises tax credit donations to help youth aging-out of the state’s foster care system, announced today it saw an almost 350 percent increase in youth served this academic year compared to its initial launch in 2023.

Thanks to the generosity of Georgia taxpayers, youth who once faced homelessness, poverty, or incarceration now have a real chance to thrive,” said Heidi Carr, executive director of FSA. “Donors aren’t just reducing their state tax burden—they’re funding college tuition, rent, healthcare, and the everyday costs that allow these young adults to study and succeed.”

The Georgia Legislature enacted the $20 million tax credit program to raise funds for the 600 young adults who each year leave the state foster care system and have nowhere to go. Most of these young adults lack parents to support them, and they wind up homeless, in poverty or succumb to a life of crime, human trafficking or addiction.

Each year, more than 600 Georgia foster youth turn 18 with no parents, no safety net, and nowhere to go. Many fall into poverty, human trafficking, or addiction. The $20 million tax credit diverts tax dollars into life-changing support, giving these youth what most of their peers have: the resources and stability to focus on education.

In 2025, FSA is serving 384 youth – an almost 350 percent increase in young adults served. During its initial year, FSA served 87 young adults. This academic year, there are 200 students pursuing two-year programs and 151 students enrolled in four-year programs. In addition, eight students are pursuing advanced degrees. FSA also assists some young adults in earning their GED.

For students like Eryka McNulty, an art major at SCAD, the program is transformative: “Without FSA, I don’t know what I would be doing with my life. Now, instead of couch-surfing like so many of my peers, I can focus on becoming an artist.”

Beyond financial aid, the program connects students with mentors—trusted adults to guide them through challenges, from job applications to personal relationships. “A mentor can keep these young adults focused and hopeful,” Carr added. “It’s the family they never had.”

Carr added that this program’s growth is a win for Georgia business and the youth who will be the employees of the future.

“Would you rather pay state taxes, or pay for a young person’s education and future?” Carr asked. “This program makes the choice easy.”

For more information about the Fostering Success Act, go to: https://fosteringsuccessact.org/