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Policy Priority
The Tax Code

Child & Dependent Care Tax Credit

Overview

The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) helps parents pay for child care so they can work and is the only provision of the tax code specifically created to help working parents pay for child care.

The CDCTC helps working parents keep more of what they make and helps offset the high cost of child care. Parents can claim a percentage of expenses to help cover the cost of care for children under the age of 13 or adult dependents.

CDCTC helps parents afford child care by offsetting the cost of going to work and providing for their families. It is critical that Congress expand this tax provision to support businesses and parents.

Top
Resources

Resource

FFYF Capsule Collection: Tax Policy and Child Care

October 9, 2024

Millions of American families today are struggling to find the affordable, reliable, quality child care they depend on to go to work. This has a devastating impact on our youngest …

Resource

Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC): Overview

July 24, 2024

Millions of American families are struggling to find quality, reliable, affordable child care they can depend on. This is having a devastating impact on our youngest learners, working families, and …

Resource

The First Five Things To Know About: The Federal Tax Code and Child Care

September 12, 2023

Millions of American families are struggling to find the affordable, reliable, quality child care they depend on to go to work. This has a devastating impact on our youngest learners, …

Latest
updates

News

Senators Kaine and Britt Introduce New Bipartisan Child Care Plan

July 31, 2024

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Katie Britt (R-AL) introduced a bipartisan package that will help lower the cost and boost the supply of child care for …

News

Parents Received $1.5K More Under Temporarily Expanded Child Care Tax Credit 

July 16, 2024

  WASHINGTON, D.C. – First Five Years Fund’s new analysis of government data has found that previous expansions of the only tax credit designed to offset child care costs saved …


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