National Association of Counties
On January 21, the White House and the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) announced a new, updated website for families to access the full, expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC). The updates on ChildTaxCredit.gov include a new tool for tax filing options, information on eligibility and instructions on how to obtain credits. The website also now includes both virtual and in-person assistance available in multiple languages to ensure accessibility during tax season.
The CTC was temporarily expanded under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). The one-year expansion allowed families to receive up to $3,000 per child ages 6-17 and $3,600 per child ages 0-6, with the first half of the credit available via monthly payments from July 2021 to December 2021. Additionally, ARPA made the credit fully refundable in 2021, expanding eligibility to families who typically do not have sufficient income tax liability to receive the full credit, including those without earnings.
As of December 2021, over 61 million children have received almost $93 billion in support from the expanded CTC. Estimates suggest that if all eligible households claimed the expanded CTC credit, child poverty would decrease by more than 40 percent. However, because the credit was newly available to many households that typically do not earn enough income to file taxes (non-filers), not all households have accessed this resource. Currently, the Treasury estimates that 2.3 million eligible children are still not enrolled.
County officials and human services staff played a key role in outreach and education to ensure that the vulnerable households receive the full CTC, especially by connecting non-filers with a simplified tool to claim credit. With tax filing season officially open, county leaders are encouraged to share the ChildTaxCredit.gov resource with residents who are eligible for the remainder of the credit.
NACo will continue to provide updates on the process for families to file for the expanded CTC.
<p>When determining local jail population drivers, counties may choose to look at neighboring counties’ data or others within their state and/or nationally as comparisons.
<p>Reducing length of stay during the pretrial period will decrease jail populations and allow people to return to the community more quickly to assist with their defense and continue working, attending school, caring for their familie
<p>Reducing the number of people in jail for technical violations can help decrease jail populations and improve outcomes and compliance with supervision conditions.
<p>Reducing the number of people arrested and booked into jails for low-level offenses and misdemeanors through diversion and citations, as well as outstanding warrants for failing to appear in court or not paying fines and fees, can h
<p>Reducing recidivism through effective jail- and community-based services can decrease jail admissions and populations and improve outcomes for people with criminal histories.</p>
<h3><strong>Counties Matter in Human Services</strong></h3>
<p>All matters pertaining to children’s issues, foster care, public assistance and income support, services to senior citizens and individuals with disabilities, immigration policy, social services, and elementary,
With American Rescue Plan funds, counties are strengthening America’s workforce, addressing the nation’s behavioral health crisis, expanding broadband access, improving housing affordability and building prosperous communities for the next generation.
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