Yes, assuming the children's parents do no live in the same household with you and the children, and that you meet the Qualifying Child or Qualifying Relative Rules.
Your two possibilities to claim a dependent are as follows:
Qualifying Child:
- The child must be related to you. The child can be your son, daughter, stepchild, eligible foster child, brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, stepbrother, stepsister, adopted child or an offspring of any of them.
- Your child must be under age 19 or, if a full-time student, under age 24. There is no age limit if your child is permanently and totally disabled.
- Your child must live with you for more than half the year, but several exceptions apply (ie. away at school).
- The child cannot provide more than half of his/her support.
- You must be the only person claiming the child
- The child must be a US citizen, resident alien, national, or resident of Mexico or Canada.
- The child cannot file a joint return with his or her spouse.
Qualifying Relative:
You provided more than half of their support.
They made less than $4,050 in gross taxable income. (Social Security income generally doesn’t count here.)
They live with you (365 days in the year) or they are related to you.
They aren’t a dependent on someone else’s taxes.
They aren’t doing their taxes with a spouse (married filing jointly).
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They are a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.
You can’t claim a dependent if you are a dependent on someone else’s taxes.
