Morning Consult/ZERO TO THREE poll shows 2/3rds of parents want Congress to do more to support infants and toddlers
As the 117th Congress prepares to conclude its session, new polling shows that parents of infants and toddlers are demanding swift action to restore the expanded, fully refundable Child Tax Credit. Early childhood development nonprofit ZERO TO THREE, in collaboration with Morning Consult, released a new survey showing that 85% of parents with children ages 0-3 say it is important for Congress to reinstate the enhanced Child Tax Credit, and nearly three in four believe that Congress shouldn’t pass any more tax breaks for wealthy corporations until it acts to reinstate the credit.
“The expanded, refundable Child Tax Credit was one of the most effective and popular tools against poverty in recent memory, and this poll sends a clear message that parents with infants and toddlers want to see this policy back in place as soon as possible,” stated Miriam Calderón, chief policy officer at ZERO TO THREE. “The need is great, and the time is now. This is the moment for Congress to take action against child poverty and help millions of babies and toddlers not just survive, but thrive.”
The Child Tax Credit, which was expanded in the American Rescue Plan Act, provided critical resources for families with babies and toddlers and led to a historic reduction in poverty, setting millions of children on a stronger developmental trajectory. This proved particularly impactful for babies and toddlers due to the rapid developmental growth children undergo during those critical years. However, the expanded, monthly credit expired at the end of 2021, and research shows that economic gains resulting from the expanded credit have faded since then. While the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation extending the expanded Child Tax Credit, the Senate did not. Year-end legislation to wrap-up unfinished business provides a prime opportunity for Congress to restore the expanded credit.
The stakes are particularly high for Black and Latine families, who are more likely to live with low income and poverty and who were disproportionately hurt by Congress’ failure to maintain the credit. Findings from the RAPID’s national surveys show that the positive impacts of the monthly Child Tax Credit payments were more profound among Black and Latine families, as well as lower-income households with young children. Since the monthly Child Tax Credit payments have been discontinued, these families are again experiencing difficulty paying for basic needs.
Key findings from the ZERO TO THREE/Morning Consult poll include:
- 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.
ZERO TO THREE is urging Congress to Think Babies and Act to reinstate and make permanent the expanded, fully refundable Child Tax Credit before the end of the Congressional session this December. Parents interested in pushing their congressional representatives for action can visit thinkbabies.org to learn how they can take action.
Polling Methodology:
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.
