Both child tax credit and context are critical to lifting children out of poverty
As a pediatrician who has devoted a career of more than five decades to promoting children’s optimal health, development, and well-being, I am excited that U.S. Rep. DeLauro’s bold, relentless, and persistent push for expansion of the child tax credit is finally receiving the bipartisan attention that it deserves. The prestigious National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concluded that the expansion of the credit could reduce childhood poverty by half, leading to better outcomes.
Paul Dworkin MD
While much attention and debate will focus on the proposal’s fiscal analysis and implications, the National Academies’ report also references a more nuanced strategy that, if undertaken, will make a great difference in advancing children’s well-being. Strengthening families to ensure the best outcomes for children, especially those living in poverty, demands that we bring to scale and impact efforts across multiple sectors including family support (e.g., home visiting), early care and education (high quality child care and preschool), housing (i.e., stability and security), workforce development, and mental health supports (e.g., addiction prevention and treatment), to name just a few.