“Now that you have lifted families up, do not let them down.“
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Joshua Perrin
communications@cssp.org
864-905-4984
Beki San Martin
rsanmartin@childrensdefense.org
301-755-7110
August 4, 2021; Washington, DC—Today, over 700 community-serving organizations called on Congress and the Biden administration to make the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) a permanent investment and ensure it is available to all families who need it. The Automatic Benefit for Children (ABC) Coalition, co-chaired by the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), led this effort which comes at an urgent moment as the expanded CTC’s future past 2021 is uncertain. Congress must act now, or the expanded credit will expire after this year.
“Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, the CTC will lift millions of children out of poverty this year,” the letter states. “Over the long term, the increased and fully refundable CTC has the potential to promote child and family well-being, boost family economic security, significantly advance racial equity, and ensure whole communities thrive.”
The sheer number of organizations focused on child and family well-being who have signed onto this letter illustrates the need for the expanded CTC, which helps families meet their children’s basic needs like food and housing and prevents involvement in intervening systems like child protective services. Columbia University research confirms these effects by showing that each dollar invested in the CTC returns eight dollars in nationwide economic growth.
Under the American Rescue Plan signed into law in March, the Child Tax Credit was made fully refundable and increased from $2,000 to $3,600 per year. To provide immediate relief, families receive half that credit in monthly installments of up to $300 July-December 2021. Families can then claim the remaining half on their 2021 income tax filing.
Read the letter here and visit here for more information about the Automatic Benefit for Children (ABC) Coalition and the Child Tax Credit.
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About CSSP: The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) works to achieve a racially, economically, and socially just society in which all children, youth, and families thrive. We translate ideas into action, promote public policies grounded in equity, and support strong and inclusive communities. We advocate with and for all children, youth, and families marginalized by public policies and institutional practices. Learn more at www.CSSP.org.
About CDF: The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit child advocacy organization that has worked relentlessly for more than 40 years to ensure a level playing field for all children. We champion policies and programs that lift children out of poverty; protect them from abuse and neglect; and ensure their access to health care, quality education, and a moral and spiritual foundation. Supported by foundation and corporate grants and individual donations, CDF advocates nationwide on behalf of children to ensure children are always a priority. Learn more at www.childrensdefense.org.