Beginning today, tens of thousands of parents across Rhode Island will gain an additional lifeline as they continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible Rhode Island families will soon receive as much as $300 per child per month in their bank accounts – thanks to direct payments created as part of the newly enhanced Child Tax Credit (CTC). I have long worked to expand the CTC, and I was proud to help champion this win for working families as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which was signed into law in March by President Biden. To find out how much your family will receive, click here.
ARPA expands CTC for 2021, supporting additional families and further boosting our economy. Approximately 185,000 Rhode Island children and their families stand to benefit from the CTC’s enhanced provisions. In total, the law will deliver as much as $551 million in CTC funds to Rhode Island this year – nearly double the amount Rhode Island families would have received under prior law. ARPA also temporarily boosts maximum CTC payments to families, makes the credit fully refundable, and raises the age of child eligibility to 17. Additionally, because the IRS uses 2020 tax returns to disburse monthly payments to families, I urge eligible families to file their return or submit their information using the IRS’s Non-Filers tool to ensure they receive the aid they qualify for.
I know how much Rhode Island parents have dealt with during the pandemic, and ARPA’s CTC expansion represents an important investment in the economic well-being of our children, families, and workers. Congress must sustain this momentum and deliver real, long-lasting support for working families, which is why I am working with Senate colleagues to permanently expand the CTC.
As we work together to see Rhode Island through this pandemic, know that I will continue my efforts in the Senate to reward hard work, lift more children out of poverty, and help Rhode Island build back even stronger.
Jack Reed
United States SenatorÂ
