They basically just got rid of the flat definition which said a foster child is any child you care for as your own and cared for the entire year. In a way, a lot more people could qualify for the Earned Income Credit than did before.
If you want to save tax dollars, deferring your funds into a retirement account is probably the best solution. That money grows tax free and (if you take out a traditional IRA) you reduce your taxable income in the year you make the contribution.
Because the consumer did not have to pay the amount, it is income in the eyes of the IRS.
The Earned Income Tax Credit is on a bell curve.