85% of Parents Want Action on Child Tax Credit
A new poll from ZERO TO THREE in collaboration with Morning Consult makes clear that parents of infants and toddlers want federal policymakers to do more to address challenges facing their families – especially when it comes to reinstating the enhanced Child Tax Credit.
85% of respondents say it’s important for Congress to reinstate the expanded, fully refundable Child Tax Credit
Poll Results Breakdown
The expansion of the Child Tax Credit in the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act provided critical resources for families with infants and toddlers and led to a historic reduction in poverty. However, when the enhanced monthly credit expired at the end of 2021, much of the economic gains resulting from the policy faded. The ZERO TO THREE/Morning Consult poll found:
- More than four in five (85%) parents say it is important for Congress to reinstate Child Tax Credit reforms, with bipartisan agreement on the issue. 94% of parents who voted for a Democrat in 2022 and 77% of parents who voted for a Republican in 2022 listed this priority as being important.
- A look at responses by race/ethnicity showed strong support for action to reinstate the expanded Child Tax Credit among white, Black and Latine parents:
- 85% of white respondents, with 52% rating it “very important”
- 86% of Black respondents, with 57% rating it “very important”
- 91% of Latine respondents, with 67% rating it “very important”
- Nearly three-fourths of all respondents say that Congress should not pass any more tax breaks for wealthy corporations until it acts to reinstate the expanded, refundable Child Tax Credit. This finding was similarly bipartisan, with 85% of parents who voted for a Democrat in 2022 and 67% of parents who voted for a Republican in 2022 agreeing with the statement.
- 64% of parents oppose denying the expanded Child Tax Credit to families without a working parent or who are in a lower tax bracket.
- Overall, parents want federal policymakers to take action to address their challenges, with two in three (64%) saying that Congress needs to do more to address challenges they experience raising their infant or toddler.
The Child Tax Credit is Critical to Family’s Economic Security
Families need a range of equitable policies that bolster economic security when children are young and their development most sensitive to economic want. Ensuring adequate income is basic to creating the environment in which young children thrive. The enhanced Child Tax Credit led to immediate and potentially lifelong benefits, with increased resources helping to lead to more stable housing, better access to nutritious food, easier access to high-quality child care and reduced family stress – all of which support children’s healthy brain development. This was particularly important for Black and Latine families, who, as the State of Babies Yearbook shows, are more likely to live with low income and poverty and were disproportionately hurt by Congress’ failure to maintain the expanded credit.
This poll was conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of ZERO TO THREE between November 10 – November 13, 2022 among a sample of 800 parents of children 0-3. The interviews were conducted online, and the data was weighted to approximate a target sample of parents of children 0-3 based on age, educational attainment, race, ethnicity and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Until then, don’t miss the IRS’ list of tax tips for new parents.
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