The Child Tax Credit is one step closer to reality – and helping to reduce child hunger.
The Greater Chicago Food Depository commends the U.S. House of Representatives for advancing a bill that would expand the Child Tax Credit. At a time when food insecurity impacts approximately one in four Chicago area households with children, we support this legislation that could significantly reduce child hunger.
The three-year expansion would have a significant impact on child poverty across the country. In particular, the bill would increase the credit for roughly 19 million children who currently only receive a partial credit or no credit at all because their families’ incomes are too low.
If the Child Tax Credit expansion passes, approximately 400,000 children would be lifted above the poverty line in the first year, bringing much-needed relief to families struggling to put food on the table.
A single parent with two children earning $15,000 would see their credit double from $1,875 to $3,600 in the first year.
In 2021, the expanded Child Tax Credit payments helped lift roughly three million children out of poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Food was the number one item that households reported using the extra funds for. When the expanded CTC expired at the end of 2021, child poverty and hunger soared.
While not as robust as the pandemic Child Tax Credit expansion, the changes will go a long way in alleviating hunger in the community and we applaud House members for recognizing the crucial role that household tax benefits play in the anti-hunger safety net.
We thank our partners and advocates for highlighting the importance of this program and are hopeful the Senate votes soon on these improvements and ensures the expanded CTC goes into effect as soon as possible. The Food Depository is also working in coalition with many other advocates to advance a child tax credit in Illinois this year.
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