National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) has worked for 130 years to improve the lives of women, children, and families. We champion policies to end poverty in America and, until that is achieved, to improve the lives of those who experience it — disproportionately women and children. The bipartisan tax package that recently passed the House of Representatives includes an expansion to the Child Tax Credit (CTC) which would do just that by helping offset the costs of raising children and providing real economic relief to working families. This is an important and necessary step towards ending childhood poverty, as an expanded CTC would help roughly 16 million children in low-income families while also assisting those families to meet their basic needs and access resources that allow their children to survive and succeed. In its first year alone, this CTC expansion would lift up to 400,000 children out of poverty. While modest, this is a good first step toward a permanent, expanded CTC that can meaningfully provide support to families in need. The Senate now has an opportunity to pass the tax package and help millions of families struggling with food, housing, and childcare costs and address the epidemic of childhood poverty in our nation. 

Urge you senators to vote “yes” on the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act with the expanded CTC.