The Children’s Defense Fund – New York Calls on the U.S. Senate to Approve the Expansion of the Child Tax Credit in the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 and on Congress to Commit to Passing a Permanent, Fully Refundable, and Monthly Child Tax Credit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5th, 2023
CONTACT:
Kercena A. Dozier | Children’s Defense Fund – New York State Director kdozier@childrensdefense.org
New York, N.Y. – Today, our U.S. Senate has the power – in the form of the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 – to prioritize marginalized children, young people, and their families by voting in favor of the expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC).
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 achieves the following for children, young people, and their families:
- benefits 16 million children in families with low incomes in the first year (That’s more than 80 percent of the 19 million children who currently receive less than the full credit, or none at all, because their families’ incomes are too low);
- benefits 3 million children under age 3 in the first year;
- meaningfully reduces child poverty by lifting as many as 400,000 children above the poverty line and making an additional 3 million children less poor as their incomes rise closer to the poverty line, in its first year, and when the expansion is fully in effect, lifting some 500,000 or more children above the poverty line and 5 million more children would be made less poor;
- helps children of all races and ethnicities and would particularly help groups where parents are overrepresented in low-paid jobs due to historical and ongoing discrimination and other structural barriers to opportunity (In the first year: 1 in 5 of all children under 17 would benefit; 1 in 3 of all Black and Latino children under 17 would benefit; 3 in 10 of all American Indian, Alaska Native, and Indigenous children under 17 would benefit; and 1 in 7 of all white and Asian children under 17 would benefit); and
- benefits 887,000 children and young people in New York in its the first year (323,00 Latino, 292,00 White, 159,00 Black, 75,000 Asian, 13,000 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Indigenous, and 32,000 Another race or multiple races).
The research at the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University shows that families spend expanded child tax credit dollars on food, child care and other basic needs.
“Tragically and immorally, New York’s child poverty rates are among the highest in the nation. Additionally, the New York State child poverty rate exceeds the national rate, which it has done for more than a decade. The 887,000 children and young people under the age of 17 years old in New York who would benefit from the expanded child tax credit in the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 along with their parents and caretakers need this economic support now to ensure that their basic, human needs are met. The U.S. Senate has the legislative power to act to meaningfully reduce child poverty in New York State and nationally. It must act swiftly to expand the Child Tax Credit. Furthermore, Congress must not be content with reducing child poverty. Congress must act to end child poverty and ensure economic stability for all. We will not stop – and neither should Congress – until every child has what they need to thrive and grow up joyfully, because their needs and dreams are fully met. This requires – among other things – expanding the Child Tax Credit in the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 and passing a permanent, fully refundable, and monthly Child Tax Credit.” Kercena A. Dozier, New York State Director of the Children’s Defense Fund.
CDF-NY is the New York office of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), the only national, multi-issue advocacy organization working at the intersection of child well-being and racial justice. CDF envisions a nation where marginalized children flourish, leaders prioritize their well-being, and communities wield the power to ensure they thrive, and strives to advance the well-being of America’s most diverse generation – the 74 million children and youth under the age of 18 and 30 million young adults under the age of 25. CDF’s grassroots movements in marginalized communities build power for child-centered public policy, informed by racial equity and the lived experience of children and youth.
The Children’s Defense Fund-New York (CDF-NY) has a unique approach to improving conditions for children, combining research, public education, policy development, direct services, and advocacy. A recognized authority in the endeavor to protect New York children and strengthen their families, CDF-NY serves as a resource and partner for children, families and organizations throughout New York State.