For Leslie and Walter Kurtz, the challenges facing youth who age out of Georgia’s foster care system aren’t abstract. They’re personal.

Leslie serves on the board of FaithBridge Foster Care, where she has seen firsthand what can happen when a young person reaches adulthood without the support system most of us take for granted. At 18, many foster youth are suddenly navigating housing, education, employment, transportation, and finances without parents to call for advice or a safety net when something goes wrong.

As Leslie began sharing those stories with Walter, the reality was difficult to ignore. These are young adults who have already experienced tremendous uncertainty, yet at a pivotal moment in their lives, many are expected to find their way forward largely on their own.

That’s what led the Kurtzes to the Fostering Success Act, a Georgia program that allows taxpayers to redirect state income tax liability to organizations providing critical support to youth transitioning out of foster care. For Walter, the financial side of the decision was remarkably straightforward.

“You’re not writing an extra check,” he explains. “You’re simply redirecting dollars you were already going to pay in taxes toward something that makes a real difference.”

Those dollars help provide the practical resources that can determine whether a young adult merely gets by or has the opportunity to build a stable future, including housing, education, job training, transportation, and other essential support.

For Georgia’s business community, the Kurtzes’ message is especially relevant. The Fostering Success Act gives executives, business owners, and other taxpayers an opportunity to decide where some of their existing state tax dollars can make an impact, at no additional cost through the dollar-for-dollar Georgia tax credit.

For Leslie and Walter, it comes down to making sure young adults who have already overcome so much know there are still people in their corner. They hope more Georgia taxpayers will recognize the same opportunity and choose to make their tax dollars matter.

Learn more and apply at fosteringsuccessact.org.