Family Policy and Child Tax Credit
The social sphere of the state includes many elements with the help of which the well-being of citizens is achieved. Since one of the critical elements of almost any society is the family, many policies aim to support them in various situations. The United States, in this context, is no exception since, in this state, there is a whole section of Family Policy focused on this topic. The laws and regulations, united by this direction, reflect qualities such as individualism and self-sufficiency and indicate the population groups that need support (Trask, n.d.). For example, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families provides additional benefits to single mothers. However, even more critical in this context is Child Tax Credit.
This initiative was created as a program designed to ease the tax burden for families with children who incur additional costs due to family size and are forced to pay high taxes. Child Tax Credit (CTC) was created in 1997 and initially included a payment of $400 per child under 17 while being non-refundable (“What is the child tax credit,” 2021). Currently, under this program, up to $ 3,600 is provided for a child under six years old and up to $ 3,000 – up to 17 years old. At the same time, these funds are fully refundable and can be received as a tax refund if the credit exceeds taxes. According to the creators of this bill and the research conducted, the CTC reflects the ideological idea of providing as many citizens of the country as possible with the same living standards (Guo & Gilbert, 2014). This measure is direct monetary support for families with children, taking into account the number of children in the family, allowing many people to feel free and pay fewer taxes, thus improving the quality of life for themselves and their children.
Child Tax Credit and COVID-19
However, these figures reflect the current situation in the United States. The values now approved are a reaction to the problematic situation with COVID-19, which forced to raise payments by more than $ 1,000 compared to prior law (“What is the child tax credit,” 2021). At the moment, the economy is in critical condition due to the existing pandemic. From the White House’s point of view, this was the reason for introducing first the American Rescue Plan, and then the American Families Plan – projects of economic support and investments in the country’s future, i.e., children and families (“Fact sheet,” 2021). Recognizing the dire situation in which many people are losing their jobs, government agencies are allowing people to reduce their taxes through the Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.
These programs, particularly the CTC, are indeed an effective way of helping low-income families better cope with the dire conditions of the pandemic. One change in the CTC through the American Rescue Plan, according to analytics, raised about 4 million children above the poverty line (Marr et al., 2021). Thus, the total number of children in critical conditions of poverty in the United States has decreased by almost 40 percent. In addition, these changes have significantly improved the situation of those people who are in a state of deep poverty, dropping in their incomes below half of the poverty line. According to experts, these changes are historical in the context of the fight against poverty, and the consolidation of such tariffs and conditions in legislation permanently will make a giant leap forward in this fight.
References
Fact sheet: The American Families Plan. (2021). The White House. Web.
Guo, J., & Gilbert, N. (2014). Public attitudes toward government responsibility for child care: The impact of individual characteristics and welfare regimes. Children and Youth Services Review, 44, 82-89. Web.
Marr, C., Cox, K., Hingtgen, S., Windham, K., & Sherman, A. (2021). American rescue plan act includes critical expansions of Child Tax Credit and EITC. CBPP. Web.
Trask, B.S. (n.d.). Family Policy in the U.S.: Some examples. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Web.
What is the child tax credit? (2021). Tax Policy Center. Web.