DeLauro Introduces Child Tax Credit Improvement Act

WASHINGTON, DC (February 2, 2017) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today introduced the Child Tax Credit Improvement Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation builds on the success of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) by indexing the value of the credit and raising the amount for families with young children. DeLauro's legislation is part of a package of three tax bills that House Democrats introduced today to support the middle class and working Americans.

"The Child Tax Credit Improvement Act will help millions of families across the United States who are striving to provide the best possible future for their children," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "The greatest economic challenge facing our country today is that Americans are working in jobs that just do not pay them enough, but we must do everything we can to ensure that families have the resources to succeed. Increasing the value of the Child Tax Credit for families with a child under the age of six has the potential to positively impact a child's health, education, and future."

"This legislation represents an enormous step forward for working families. An abundance of research underscores that investing in the early years of a child's life not only helps families in the short-term, but also has long-term positive impacts on that child's education, employment, earnings, and health," said Neera Tanden, President and CEO of the Center for American Progress. "Harnessing the Child Tax Credit as a tool to invest in the next generation would help millions of families meet their children's immediate needs while also providing greater economic stability."

The Child Tax Credit Improvement Act would index the value of the Child Tax Credit with inflation and increase the value of the credit for families with young children under the age of 6 to $3,600. Indexing the value of the credit keeps the real value of the CTC constant, helping families to maintain the purchasing power of the credit. The most recent Census report on the Supplemental Poverty Measure showed that refundable tax credits, specifically the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit, do more to lift children out of poverty than any other federal policy.