LOS ANGELES – Today, as part of the White House's Child Tax Credit Awareness Day of Action, Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) convened local elected officials, working families, childcare providers, and other city leaders at the Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA to announce expanded, monthly child tax credit payments passed in the American Rescue Plan in March 2021. These payments, which will start on July 15, serve as a guaranteed monthly income for parents nationwide. Angelenos can expected $250 per month for each child ages 6-17 and $300 per month for each child ages 0-5 and a total of $3,000 and $3,600, respectively.
Joining Congressman Gomez was L.A. Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner, Vice President of Equity and Inclusion at the Los Angeles YMCA Mario Valenzuela, Associate Executive Director of the Bresee Foundation Ana Grande, Director of Community Wealth and Services for the East L.A. Community Corporation Elba Serrano Schildcrout, President and CEO of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation Martin Castro, CEO of Pathways LA Tamika Farr, Economic Development Specialist at KYCC Hye Won Baek, and working families from across California’s 34th Congressional District.
“The past year was hard on all of us, but especially so for children and their working-class families,” said Congressman Gomez. “While we’re hopeful we’ve moved past the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of my low-income constituents continue to struggle to pay the bills and keep a roof over their head. But come July 15, millions of American families are going to get more help with payments through the enhanced child tax credit. I’d like to thank the elected officials, local leaders, and working families who joined me today in East Los Angeles for helping us express the importance of this truly transformative policy achievement within the American Rescue Plan.”
“We know first-hand the struggles working families face and schools have done more during this crisis than any other organization to help those most in need,” Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner said. “We provided 140 million meals along with 40 million items of much-needed supplies to children and adults, computers and internet access to 500,000 students and their families, 2 million COVID tests to students, school staff and their families and access to vaccinations for 86,000 school staff members, 300,000 students and thousands of community members. All at local, neighborhood schools. Now we want to help the half-million families we serve receive the Child Tax Credit which can provide them with up to $3,600 per child to help them make ends meet.” Superintendent Beutner added, “We’re in regular dialogue with the largest group of families in the Los Angeles area who qualify to receive money under this program. It makes sense to try to tie the pieces together at schools to make sure the families we serve receive the benefits they’re entitled to.”
“The Koreatown Youth and Community Center supports the new Child Tax Credit, which will help provide essential support to the children and their families in our community,” said Steve Kang, Director of External Affairs for KYCC. “After an economically challenging year for many following the COVID-19 pandemic, the expanded Child Tax Credit is crucial to uplifting our families and providing financial relief to those who need it most."
“This child tax credit through a monthly payment was made possible by the American Rescue Plan," said Elba Schildcrout, Director of Community Wealth & Services at the East L.A. Community Corporation. "We have relied on hardworking families, including Latinx families and immigrants, as essential workers to get us through the pandemic. Because of them, many of us were able to quarantine, keep ourselves safe, and put food on the table. These monthly payments will ensure that those who sacrificed during the pandemic and have children will have the resources they need to feed their kids and pay their rent and bills”
“In less than one month families across the country will begin receiving a vital financial lifeline in the form of the expanded monthly Child Tax Credit thanks to the American Rescue Plan proposed by President Biden and passed by Democrats in Congress,” said Adam Ruben, Director of Economic Security Project Action. “The expanded Child Tax Credit will help all families succeed, from working families struggling with basic needs like food, rent, and bills, to middle-class families that need help with childcare and college savings. It will help Main Street businesses and whole communities thrive. This is a huge win for families, and we are so pleased to join with the Biden administration to help raise awareness about it.”
“At SHIELDS for Families, we are thrilled that Angelenos will receive the expanded Child Tax Credit in the upcoming month,” said Cameron Lewis of SHIELDS for Families. “And, we are thrilled that our immigrant communities will receive this assistance. Our immigrant communities have been the backbone of our Angelo culture, our economy, and our identity. It is about time that we, as taxpayers, see a return on our investment in the federal government. Daily, immigrants perform backbreaking work to keep our local businesses running and their families fed. Our communities have the right to live with dignity. They have the right to live without worry that they may not be able to feed their children, clothe them, or take care of their needs. The expanded Child Tax Credit is one more step toward making this a reality.”
"For thousands of low-income families who prepare their taxes with us, this expansion and advance of the child tax credit will provide critical relief in recovering from this pandemic," said Hye Won Baek, Economic Development Specialist for KYCC. "Every Year, FreeTaxPrepLA is a witness to how much EITC, CTC, and other credits provide families with financial security and stability, and we are excited about how the new child tax credit will help our families thrive."
"Although we are emerging from the worst of the pandemic, the economic disruptions it has caused will negatively impact family financial stability far into the future," said Charna Widby, Chief Government Affairs and Public Policy Officer of First 5 L.A. "In 2018, nearly 23 percent of L.A. County families with young children were living in poverty, and this past year has only increased the adversity many are facing, including rising rates of food insecurity and job loss; and decreased access to critical child care needs. The American Rescue Plan’s expanded Child Tax Credit allows many families with children who haven’t previously been eligible for the full benefit to now receive it, and sending the direct payments on a monthly basis will ensure they quickly reach families who need them most. The expansion, though, is currently set to expire at the end of the year. Together, we must work to ensure the newly expanded Child Tax Credit is made permanent, marking this moment as a first step toward providing the consistent supports necessary to help lift our most at-risk families out of poverty.”
Families can expect their Child Tax Credit benefit to be direct deposited into their bank accounts on the 15th of each month beginning in July, and they will receive a lump sum payment to make up the balance of the total benefit in 2022. In CA-34, this benefit will benefit 139,200 children across 41,300 households and will lift 17,400 children out of poverty. To learn more about the expanded Child Tax Credit, please click here.
