ATLANTA – U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., introduced legislation Wednesday aimed at strengthening federal oversight of state foster care systems.
The bipartisan bill, cosponsored by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, follows a 13-month investigation a Senate subcommittee chaired by Ossoff conducted into the abuse and neglect of children in Georgia’s foster care system.
Among the Human Rights Subcommittee’s findings were incidents involving “hidden” foster care placements, which occur when a state child protection agency places a child with a caregiver informally.
In many cases, these placements involve relatives. Such placements are happening without the oversight of a court, and these children are not counted in official foster care numbers.
Ossoff’s bill would require states to measure and report to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) incidents in which children are separated from their parents and placed with a caregiver informally. HHS would be required to submit a publicly available report to Congress on the use of hidden foster care.
“This bipartisan legislation … will strengthen federal oversight of state foster care systems and better protect foster children from physical abuse, sexual abuse, or human trafficking,” Ossoff said.
The subcommittee interviewed more than 100 witnesses and reviewed thousands of pages of documents to investigate the human rights violations children may be suffering in foster care.
ATLANTA – Limits on donations to a state tax credit that supports foster children aging out of the system were eliminated effective Monday.
The General Assembly created the foster-care tax credit last year with a $20 million cap. In its first year, the program raised almost $11.6 million.
About 700 young Georgians age out of the foster care system each year, most with no family to return to after they leave the system. Data from numerous studies shows most who leave foster care end up homeless, in chronic poverty, in jail, or become victims of human trafficking.
Taxpayers wishing to contribute to the program can receive dollar-for-dollar state income tax credits for up to $2,500 per year, while married couples filing jointly can receive up to $5,000. Corporate donations are limited to 10% of the company’s annual tax liability.
“Every Georgia taxpayer ,,, whether a business or an individual … should see this as a no-brainer to either eliminate or greatly reduce their state income taxes,” said Heidi Carr, executive director of Fostering Success Act Inc., (FSA) one of the foster-care support organizations authorized by the state to work with these young people.
“At the same time, their tax credit donation will not only save lives but save more tax dollars in the long run by keeping these youth off the streets, out of jail, and out of poverty.”
FSA and other nonprofits use the proceeds from donations to the program to provide foster youth who age out of the system medical care, counseling, food, car repairs and housing, as well as aid for high-school GED programs and tuition to pay for vocational or college courses needed to complete their education.
ATLANTA – The nonprofit health-care organization CareSource is donating $1 million to a program that helps young people aging out of Georgia’s foster care system.
The General Assembly passed legislation unanimously in 2022 creating a tax credit to help fund wraparound services aimed at removing barriers to education for youths leaving foster care. The list of services includes tuition assistance at technical schools or state colleges, food, medical care, rental assistance, and money for transportation.
Under the Fostering Success Act, individual taxpayers can receive dollar-for-dollar state income tax credits for up to $2,500 per year contributed to a qualified foster support organization, while married couples filing jointly can receive up to $5,000. Corporate donations are limited to 10% of the company’s annual tax liability. The program raised nearly $10 million during its first year.
“By providing young people with the resources they need to become independent and educated, we help to create paths to healthier futures and strengthen their communities by decreasing the risk of homelessness, poverty, and incarceration,” said Bobby Cagle, executive director of CareSource Georgia and former commissioner of the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.
Georgia currently has more than 11,000 children in foster care, and about 700 age out of the system each year. Research shows that more than 30% of those young people will experience homelessness, 70% will be forced to rely on welfare programs, and almost 90% of boys will spend time in jail.
“Many young adults who age out of the foster care system have no support network and often little hope for the future,” said Heidi Carr, executive director of Fostering Success Act Inc., which helps administer the tax credit program. “We empower these young people to pursue their dreams by connecting them to resources and organizations that can offer support.”
The $1 million contribution from CareSource Georgia follows a $5 million donation the organization announced last month to help financially struggling rural hospitals.
CareSource Georgia operates a managed-care health plan that serves more than 450,000 Georgians.
ATLANTA – A nonprofit formed to help administer a new state tax credit to support foster children aging out of the system raised nearly $10 million during its first year.
Legislation the General Assembly passed unanimously last year authorized $20 million for the tax credit.
The state Department of Revenue approved $9.7 million in contributions to Fostering Success Act Inc. (FSA), donations that came from more than 180 businesses and individuals. As a result, the nonprofit issued funds to help more than 100 young people enroll at 37 universities and technical colleges across Georgia.
“These funds will go a long way to make sure many of these kids who have left foster care can have food to eat, afford to get to work – and most importantly – be able to enroll in college or a technical school so they can find a good-paying job,” FSA Chairman Richard L. Jackson said Thursday. “This tax credit will change the trajectory of their lives.”
About 700 young Georgians age out of the foster care system each year, most with no family to return to after they leave the system. Data from numerous studies shows most who leave foster care end up homeless, in chronic poverty, in jail, or become victims of human trafficking.
Under the legislation, individual taxpayers can receive dollar-for-dollar state income tax credits for up to $2,500 per year contributed to the program, while married couples filing jointly can receive up to $5,000. Corporate donations are limited to 10% of the company’s annual tax liability.
“We believe as more people learn about our mission and this important tax credit, more companies and individuals will see how they can make a difference in reducing poverty, addiction, homelessness, and incarceration by donating to the beneficial income tax credit,” said Heidi Carr, FSA’s executive director.
For more information on the tax credit, go to https://fosteringsuccessact.org/
ATLANTA – A nonprofit formed to help administer a new state tax credit to support foster children aging out of the system is working against a tight deadline.
Fostering Success Act Inc. has until Dec. 31 to process $20 million in annual tax credits the General Assembly authorized last year. As of the beginning of this month, $15 million still remained available, said Heidi Carr, the organization’s executive director.
“We’ve been reaching out to a lot of companies and individuals to get their applications in,” she said. “But time is running out.”
Under legislation Georgia lawmakers passed unanimously, individual taxpayers can receive dollar-for-dollar state income tax credits for up to $2,500 per year contributed to the program, while married couples filing jointly can receive up to $5,000. Corporate donations are limited to 10% of the company’s annual tax liability.
“They have to pay taxes anyway,” Carr said. “This is an opportunity to make a difference.”
About 700 young Georgians age out of the foster care system each year, most with no family to return to after they leave the system.
Carr cited statistics showing 97% of those youths end up living in chronic poverty, 71% of the girls get pregnant within a year of leaving foster care, and 81% of the boys encounter police.
“They don’t have anywhere to go back to, so they end up on the street,” she said.
Contributions to the tax credit program will be used for “wraparound” services – including housing, food, and transportation – to help support these young people while they attend a university or technical college. Former foster care youths ages 18 to 25 are eligible for the program.
“We want them to learn a trade or get a degree,” Carr said.
Fostering Success Act Inc. currently is distributing funds raised through the tax credit to 20 nonprofit organizations, with more in the pipeline for 2024. One of those is Alpharetta-based FaithBridge Foster Care, which has helped kids aging out of foster care enroll in colleges across the state, from Dalton State College in Northwest Georgia to the College of Coastal Georgia and Valdosta State University.
“Over 50% of foster kids sign out of foster care at 18,” said John Solberg, vice president of youth opportunities at FaithBridge. “They believe they can support themselves, but they can fall into homelessness and have other issues because they’re not mentally or emotionally prepared for the challenges of adulthood.”
Applications for the tax credit to the Georgia Department of Revenue are accepted on a first-come basis. Once approved, taxpayers have 60 days from the date of approval to send their contribution check or pay online.
Carr said she’s not surprised the program is getting off to slow start because the tax credit is new and a lot of taxpayers aren’t aware of it. Thus far, about 100 youths have contacted her organization for help, she said.
“We were able to help some start school in August, and we have more lined up for January,” she said. “This gives them hope. Hope is something they don’t have a lot of.”
