Capital Region Congressman Paul Tonko is pushing for changes to the Child Tax Credit. WAMC’s Alexander Babbie reports.
The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, which recently passed the House, would increase the child tax credit to $2,100 per child per year by 2025 and index it to inflation. Speaking with parents at Creative Kids Childcare Center in Albany Thursday, Tonko says it’s needed to ensure parents can take care of their children.
“Now we want to make certain that with the improvements, we enable you again to get monthly installments, that's how you pay your bills, that's how you pay your groceries, your rent, you know, all of that is by month, rather than an installment at the bulk payment at the end of the year, at the beginning of the tax season,” Tonko said.
The Democrat from New York’s 20th district says it’s especially important when 70 percent of that money goes straight to necessities.
“So it makes sense that you're empowering families, and you're investing that money in the community,” Tonko said.
Kree Charvis, whose son attends the Center, says the credit helps her break even, saying she’s struggling even despite being considered “middle class.”
“When you come up to middle class, you don't get that anymore, like food stamps. I do. I am able to, like, get help with my childcare. But I don't receive, like, food stamps. So that credit is gonna go towards, like, more, other necessities. That could be the ticket for my child. We live a little further from the daycare. So getting us here, I believe it's gonna be very helpful,” Charvis said.
Susan Rego, who also has a son at the center, says the tax credit would help her buy food that avoids his allergies.
“I'm really excited to be able to have opportunity to have a monthly income for that child tax credit so I can be able to really get him those needs and be able to send him to daycare where they've been really great and wonderful and helping us with these new allergies. So it's going to be a huge help for us to have that income for my son,” Rego said.
Kat Perez agrees the extra income would be a much-needed boost.
“My son doesn't drink milk. So we do yogurt, which is expensive. And the pouches and not to get too technical, but the pouches are only four pouches, $6 a box, and he drinks a day, he drinks three or the full box. So I spent, I want to say $6 a day just for him to have yogurt or protein. So I can see it going into you know, yogurt, diapers, which have to purchase diapers for home and for here,” Perez said.
Jameika Foster’s 3-year-old son also attends the Center.
“I also have teenage daughters who are active, they play a lot of sports. And there's always that, you know, last minute sport equipment that they may need. And once the budget is already done for the rent and for the groceries or for the copay for childcare, I am kind of lost with how do I provide these athletic, you know, things for my children during that season,” Foster said.
Tonko says the tax credit isn’t all he wants to see Congress do to support families.
“A lot of the things we're doing in in Congress that we're hoping to achieve, are reducing costs for healthcare, for cost of diabetes, for the impact of insulin, reducing that cost down to $35, rather than $600 a month.”
He adds housing and workforce training is key as well.
The bill now moves to the Democratic-controlled Senate.
