2019 KIDS COUNT data from Our Children Oregon tells us that before the onset of COVID-19, 13.6% of Oregon’s children were living in poverty. Between January and April of 2020, this rate dropped nearly five points, following the release of federal pandemic relief funds.
Federal aid programs like the Child Tax Credit (CTC) go a long way toward reducing the economic burden facing low-income families across our state, helping these families access basic needs that will lead to better health for their children, increased stability, and more success in school and beyond.
Initial findings from the Oregon Poverty Measure Project show that the expanded Child Tax Credit, which provided monthly payments to families of up to $300 per child under age 6 and up to $250 per child 6 to 17, helped to bring 60,000 Oregon children out of poverty.
October 2021 data from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities show that 89% of low-income families in Oregon have received funds from the expanded CTC, and according to research from the Social Policy Institute, families reported using the monthly influx of cash to pay for food, housing, utilities, and child care.
This benefit, one of the most popular provisions in President Biden’s Build Back Better Act, ended in December and is not going to continue unless bipartisan agreement can be reached. As advocates for children, we believe it’s imperative to continue supporting families with relief programs such as the expanded Child Tax Credit.
Read More About the Child Tax Credit
The Child Tax Credit Is Buffering Families from Financial Hardship – Rapid-EC Project
Research Roundup of the Expanded Child Tax Credit: The First 6 Months – Center on Poverty and Social Policy
Tax Credit Reforms in Build Back Better Would Benefit a Diverse Group of Families – Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy
The Child Tax Credit’s Extra Benefits are Ending Just as More Parents are Scrambling for Child Care – New York Times
Why Isn’t Biden’s Expanded Child Tax Credit More Popular? – New York Times