Good leadership means looking out for working families.
We commend our nation’s leaders who, through the Build Back Better Framework, have set the path forward to providing families nationwide the resources they need to succeed.
Right now, the choice to continue investing in Arizona families is in our elected official’s hands.
When the American Rescue Plan was passed, it put money directly into families’ pockets with the expansion of the Child Tax Credit. For many working families, the Child Tax Credit expansion has been a godsend.Unfortunately, as of now, the expanded Child Tax Credit is set to expire – leaving our communities in dire circumstances. We need the Child Tax Credit to be extended and made permanent.
Over the past year, our team at Stand AZ has connected with families to hear about their needs. We’ve heard from thousands of hard-working parents whose lives have been changed by receiving the monthly Child Tax Credit payments.
This sweeping effort has cut child poverty by 45 percent. The payments have provided more than 35 million Americans with food security, the ability to afford rent, and the funds needed to take care of the basic needs of their children.
While a one-year extension provides only temporary relief, we know it’s a first step in changing the futures of an entire generation of children. For Miguel Gaytan, a father in Phoenix, the Child Tax Credit is a crucial need for his family.
“The child tax credit money has helped my family in so many ways, I’ve been able to catch a break and pay past due bills that have set my family behind. My wife had lost her job during COVID so this money has truly been a lifesaver. I know there are so many other families out there like mine who are still struggling to pay off debts and trying to keep their family afloat, this pandemic is not over and this extra bit of help goes a long way. I hope the government makes this a permanent program so that families can continue to feel supported.”
Extending the CTC is extraordinarily vital for low and middle-income families. For working mom, Kattya Valdez and her daughter, Isabella, this is very much the case. Like many families since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, life has been a struggle. Also like many families, the expansion of the CTC has helped ease that burden. As Katya says,
“I am very grateful to have a job, but as a single parent, it is sometimes difficult to make ends meet month to month. The Child Tax Credit money has been extremely helpful in paying for my daughter’s tutoring and catching up on my monthly bills.”
You can learn more about the CTC at childtaxcredit.gov.
Along with thousands of our supporters from Arizona and around the country, we call upon members of both houses of Congress to support the legislation that will be built upon the Build Back Better framework and forever be a part of a historic investment in our nation’s future.
