Invest in children

In 2021, the expanded Child Tax Credit helped millions of families pay the bills and cut child poverty by more than one-third. The program and its monthly payments have now ended, and according to the Center on Poverty and Social Policy, monthly child poverty has increased by 41%.

Ending the tax credit has also impacted the employment rate. Washington University data has shown that employment too decreased when the expanded credit expired, as it aided employment by providing money for childcare, transportation and stable housing.

The Child Tax Credit works and is necessary for getting families back on their feet.

Congress is expected to move a yearend tax package, and we must ask: What will it support?

Extending an expanded Child Tax Credit for the lowest-income families can and must be included, and it is up to our influential members of congress to make sure this happens. I urge House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to listen.

The best investment to stay healthy and strong as a nation is investing in our children.

Matt Parent, San Francisco