Empire State Child Credit

In New York State, the Empire State Child Credit (ESCC) is a powerful but flawed tool for fighting child poverty. From its inception, the ESCC featured characteristics that set it up to be a strong tool for fighting child poverty, including that it is fully refundable and available to immigrant families who file taxes with Individual Tax Identification Numbers (ITINs). However, it has significant, fundamental flaws: it excludes New York’s youngest children (under age 4) and its phase-in structure reduces the credit amount for children in families experiencing deep poverty. New York’s child tax credit has also fallen behind that of several states in terms of the credit amount. In the 2023-24 State Budget, New York must strengthen this credit by ending its exclusion of young children and those experiencing deep poverty and increasing the amount available to families. (Source: Raising New York report, Sept. 2022)

Resources:

• Raising New York report on the Empire State Child Credit
• Ending Child Poverty in New York: Senator Gounardes, Senator Cooney, and Assemblymember Hevesi to Unveil Bill Reinstating Child Tax Credit in New York State
• New York Dems eye revamped expanded child tax credit for families across the state; minimum $500 credit per child

Federal Child Tax Credit

The Federal Child Tax Credit expansion drove national child poverty rates sharply downward in 2021. Combined with other relief efforts, the expansion helped lower child poverty by more than 40 percent between 2020 and 2021, reaching a record low of 5.2 percent according to Census Bureau data. The credit’s expansion expired at the end of 2021, but policymakers can renew this successful poverty-fighting policy in year-end bipartisan tax legislation. Join Schuyler Center and our partners as we call on Congress to renew the expanded Child Tax Credit now – advocacy opportunities and resources are below. (Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Nov. 2022)

Federal Advocacy:

• Letter to Senate Majority Leader Schumer – signed by over 100 New York organizations
• Rally for the Child Tax Credit in NYC! On Saturday, December 10 families, elected leaders, advocates, and service organizations rallied at the Wall Street Bull to call on Congress to renew the expanded Child Tax Credit before the end of the year!  Read the press release.

Federal Child Tax Credit Expansion

• Letter to Senator Schumer and Speaker Pelosi
• Faith Leaders Letter
• Salvation Army Letter
• Polling Support for Investments in Children
• Congress should prioritize families over corporate tax breaks (The Hill, 11/3/22)
• Year-End Tax Policy Priority: Expand the Child Tax Credit for the 19 Million Children Who Receive Less Than the Full Credit – Report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Nov 2022
• Policymakers Should Expand Child Tax Credit in Year-End Legislation to Fight Child Poverty -Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Oct 2022