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Policy Priority
THE TAX CODE

Child Tax Credit

Overview

The Child Tax Credit (CTC) helps qualifying parents with children under the age of 17 offset the cost of everyday household expenses.

The CTC is designed to ensure that the tax code reflects the fact that families have more expenses and less disposable income than individuals and couples with the same income who don’t have children. Parents can use this credit for any expense, even those unrelated to the cost of raising children.

In July of 2025, Congress increased the Child Tax Credit from $2,000 to $2,200 per qualifying child. 

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Resources

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In A Nutshell With two-thirds of children ages five and under living in homes where all available parents are working, child care is not optional for most families – it’s …

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The First Five Things to Know About: The Britt-Kaine Bipartisan Child Care Plan

March 5, 2025

First Introduced: July 2024 Reintroduced: March 2025.  Parents want to make child care choices that best support their family’s individual needs and their child’s development. This is especially true for …

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Child Care and the Federal Tax Code

February 18, 2025

Millions of families across the United States need child care. Yet for too many, child care is hard to find and even harder to afford. Congress can lead the way. …

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Updates

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The Friday Five: The Latest Child Care and Early Learning News

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Friday, November 7th Since the November 1st funding deadline for Head Start has come and gone, programs in states across the country have had to close their doors leaving more …

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STATEMENT: Protecting Children In A Time of Uncertainty

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The first few years of life set the foundation for children’s health, learning, and behavior. During this crucial birth-to-five period, a child’s brain is especially adaptable—but also vulnerable. Repeated exposure …


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