Families across the country have been breathing a sigh of relief each month when the Child Tax Credit payment arrives. But December 15th will be the LAST monthly Child Tax Credit check for families if the U.S. Senate doesn’t act by the end of the year! 

You heard that right. And families won’t stand for that. It’s time to tell the U.S. Senate to vote yes and pass the Build Back Better Act and save the Child Tax Credit that helps children and families thrive!

Here’s what’s going on: Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, signed by President Biden in March, most families have been receiving monthly payments to help raise their kids in the form of the Child Tax Credit. How much money? For every child under the age of 6, families should be receiving  $300/month and for each child ages 6-17 should receive $250/month. Plus, now those of us who made little or no income in the past year have still been able to get the CTC! [1] That’s some serious cash that has already done some serious good in helping our families make ends meet during this difficult time. And we’ve already seen in just a few months that these checks are reducing hunger and poverty for families across the country. [2]

Here’s the catch: Building off President Biden’s Build Back Better plan, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a plan to extend the expanded CTC and ensure that low income families will ALWAYS have access to the benefit. BUT if the U.S. Senate doesn’t pass this historic piece of legislation before the end of the year, this will be the last monthly CTC payment for millions of families.

If the Senate doesn’t take action in the next few weeks, all the great improvements to the Child Tax Credit will go away, sending millions of children and families back into poverty. So, failing to extend the CTC would play a role in raising costs for families at a time when the U.S. (and the world) is fighting inflationary pressures due to supply chain issues. [3]  It’s clear: The CTC expansion needs to be extended to lower family costs and help them thrive.

*We need your help to speak out! Please use your voice and sign our letter calling on the U.S. Senate to save the expanded Child Tax Credit by immediately passing the Build Back Better Act. And while we are at it, let them hear loud and clear that children and families need investments in the full suite of programs that allow families to thrive: paid family and medical leave, child care, home- and community-based services, and a pathway to citizenship.

Families have been rising to demand the change we deserve and we won’t let Congress let the clock run out on critical support for children. We won’t let Congress revoke the single largest reduction for child poverty – we demand they take action today! Sign on to tell Congress to pass Build Back Better to ensure a better future for our children and families!