From the Administration for Children & Families [1]
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration celebrates Child Tax Credit Awareness Day. President Biden’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act included historic investments to support low- and middle-income parents who have long faced increasing financial strain, worsened by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Child Tax Credit Awareness Day is meant to ensure that parents know about the ARP Act’s historic expansion of the child tax credit (CTC) and how it will benefit their families.
The CTC Provides Major Tax Relief for Nearly All Working Families
- All working families will get the full credit if they make up to $150,000 for a couple or $112,500 for a family with a single parent (also called head of household).
- The CTC has been expanded to $3,000 per child ages 6–17 years and $3,600 per child younger than age 6.
- Roughly 39 million households—covering 65 million children (nearly 90 percent of children in the United States)—will automatically receive the new CTC.
- Starting on July 15th and continuing through the rest of the calendar year, payments of $250 per child between ages 6–17 or $300 per child younger than age 6 will be made monthly (via direct deposit for 80 percent of families and through the mail for the others).
- The Internal Revenue Service has launched a simplified online tool [2] that will allow families not automatically enrolled in the program to receive the CTC. For more information, visit ChildTaxCredit.gov [3].
President Biden’s American Families Plan Calls for Extending the CTC for Years and Years
The new CTC enacted in the ARP Act is only available for 2021. President Biden strongly believes that we should extend the new CTC for years to come, and he proposes to do that in his American Families Plan.
Easy Signup for Low-Income Families To Cut Child Poverty in Half
Low-income families with children are eligible for this crucial tax relief, including those who have not made enough money to be required to file taxes. If a couple makes less than $24,800, a head of household makes less than $18,650, or a single filer makes less than $12,400, and they have not filed their taxes, a simple, easy tool is available to sign up for the CTC. Learn more at ChildTaxCredit.gov [3].
Help Us Spread the Word
Use June 21st as the occasion to host events, make calls, post on social media to elevate the CTC, or announce future efforts to promote awareness and signups for the CTC. Here are some ways to engage on that day and in the following weeks and months:
- Host or join events or Zoom calls in your district at family centers, houses of worship, community centers, and other places that families visit and pitch the events or calls to local media.
- Write and/or place an op-ed about the importance of the CTC in your regional or local media outlet.
- Participate in a webinar with faith and community leaders to tell them about the CTC and the ways that they can ensure access to the CTC for members of their congregations and communities.
- Partner with school districts, education leaders, and child care centers to share information with parents.
- Raise awareness via social media (e.g., write a post, compose a tweet, partner with an advocacy organization for an Instagram Live event).
- Join local and national broadcasts to discuss the impacts of the CTC.
- Partner with local sports teams to raise awareness of the CTC through their social media channels, events, and other engagements.