Representative Jan Schakowsky joined staff and families of Christopher House, a family of schools in Chicago that provides comprehensive support for families to succeed in school, the workplace and life, to celebrate the start of the Enhanced Child Tax Credit passed into law by the American Rescue Plan.
The program provides payments of up to $300 per month per child to working families with children whose combined income falls below $150,000 for a couple or $112,500 for a family with a single parent. About 33,000 households and 70% of all children in Rep. Schakowsky’s district will qualify for the Child Tax Credit.
“Parents and caregivers cannot go back to work, grow our economy, and build better lives for their families unless they know their children are cared for,” said Rep. Schakowsky. “The American Rescue Plan included an expansion of the Child Tax Credit, which will provide financial support for families to help them afford childcare, food, clothing, and other daily expenses. This program is cutting child poverty in half across the nation, and raising more than 134,000 Chicagoland children out of poverty.”
Monthly checks started to arrive earlier this week and will continue through December. Families will receive a lump sum payment in 2022.
“This will be a huge help for parents and families,” said Lindsey Percival, Executive Director of Learning Bridge Early Education Center in Evanston. “A lot of our families have lost their jobs or had their hours cut and have really struggled during the pandemic.”
Learning Bridge Early Education Center, established in 1944, is the longest standing and largest comprehensive preschool and early learning center in Evanston. The center currently serves 65 families, down from a pre-pandemic level of 85 families.
According to Rep. Schakowsky’s office, most families will not have to take any action to receive the credit. Families who received money from the Economic Impact Fund, established by the federal government to help people during the pandemic, will automatically receive payments under this program as well as those who filed taxes in 2020 or 2019.
And parents and guardians who haven’t filed taxes or normally wouldn’t need to can also receive the benefit. Parents and guardians can visit www.childtaxcredit.gov to check their status or use the non-filer tool to receive the tax credit.
Local help is available every Monday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. or by appointment at the office of Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, at 2510 Green Bay Road, Room 130. Rep. Schakowsky staff will be present to answer constituent’s questions.
The Child Tax Credit Monthly Payments are part of the American Rescue Plan that Rep. Schakowsky helped pass into law.
Correction – Rep. Schakowsky’s office on Davis Street is closed.