As First Child Tax Credit Payments Hit, Schneider Hosts Bilingual Conversation with Tenth District Mothers
First round of monthly Child Tax Credit payments arrives to families today, Thursday, July 15th
DEERFIELD, Il. – As the first round of monthly Child Tax Credit payments arrive to American families, Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) today hosted a bilingual Facebook Live conversation with Lidia Madrid and Diana Wence, two mothers from Waukegan, to discuss how the newly-expanded Child Tax Credit will benefit Tenth District families like theirs.
As part of the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress in March, hardworking families can expect advance monthly payments of the Child Tax Credit of up to $300 per month, per child, beginning today. The Child Tax Credit will lift 8,500 children in the Tenth District out of poverty and is expected to cut the national child poverty rate in half.
"The American Rescue Plan expanded the Child Tax Credit so that our families can recover and rebuild from the pandemic. These payments, which will benefit a stunning 122,700 children in the Tenth District, will help families like Diana's and Lidia's cover expenses like food, childcare, healthcare, clothing and taxes. This critical support will lift millions of children out of poverty nationwide and will provide a safety net that is long overdue. I was grateful to speak with Diana and Lidia today to hear how the Child Tax Credit will help them care for their children," said Congressman Brad Schneider.
"We are counting on this support. This money will help us give our kids the things that they need. Even before the pandemic, school supplies were around $250 per child. We know that for 2021, things are going to be even more expensive. Receiving this money will definitely have a positive impact for our kids," said Waukegan mother Diana Wence.
"I have three kids. Two of them go to high school, and my other one is going into 2nd grade and so this money is definitely going toward school supplies and appropriate clothes. My 14-year old just had a big growth spurt and I need to buy almost everything for him. As part of the Hispanic community, we are really anticipating these payments because we want to continue giving better opportunities to our kids and our families. The impact these payments will make is tremendous Let's remember that the pandemic is not gone. Things are reopening little by little, and there are expenses coming," said Waukegan mother Lidia Madrid.
The full Facebook Live conversation is available here. More resources about the CTC are available on the IRS website in English and Spanish here.