Padilla Releases Public Service Announcement as Child Tax Credit Payments for California Families Begin

VIDEO: View Video of Information on Child Tax Credit Payments from Senator Padilla

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) released a public service announcement (PSA) as families in California and across the country begin receiving their enhanced Child Tax Credit payments to help parents plan for and access their payments. The expanded Child Tax Credit is a part of the American Rescue Plan, which Senator Padilla voted to enact, and provides major tax relief for nearly all working families with children in California.

“Today is a historic day for working families in California and across the country. Expanded Child Tax Credit payments will be hitting bank accounts of millions of working families, delivering one of the most significant reductions in child poverty in our nation’s history,” said Senator Padilla. “President Biden’s American Rescue Plan is delivering real results that will help lift half a million California children out of poverty. I remain committed to ensuring our nation’s families are supported as we continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

California households will begin receiving up to $300 a month per child starting today through the remainder of the year. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, more than 7.8 million California children will benefit from this historic expansion of the Child Tax Credit. It is estimated that the Child Tax Credit will cut child poverty in half. 

California received more than $1.44 billion in flexible funding to help more low-income working families access high-quality care, increase compensation for early childhood workers, and help parents to work. California also received more than $2.3 billion to help child care providers reopen or stay open, provide safe and healthy learning environments, keep workers on payroll, and provide mental health supports for educators and children.

For additional information, please visit irs.gov.

Download the video PSA here. 

Read Padilla’s full PSA transcript below:

PADILLA: Hi, I’m Senator Alex Padilla, and I have the honor of representing California in the United States Senate.

I’m excited to share information about a new, monthly financial benefit for working families with children.

Beginning July 15th, nearly all working families will start receiving monthly Child Tax Credit payments.

Your household could get up to 300 dollars per month, per child, for the rest of this year.

And you may be eligible for even more when you file your taxes next year.

I’m proud to have cast one of my first votes in the Senate for President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, which included this historic expansion of the Child Tax Credit.

The American Rescue Plan can cut child poverty in half in the country.

Now, we’re working to put more money in the pockets of hardworking parents so that all our children can be set up for success.

As a father of three boys, I know that raising kids can be expensive.

So here’s what you need to know about the benefits you’re entitled to.

You will automatically start receiving monthly Child Tax Credit payments if you’ve filed tax returns for 2019 or 2020, or if you signed up to receive a stimulus check from the IRS.

For those individuals, there is no need to sign up.

You’ll receive your first payment by direct deposit or in the mail.

A small percentage of families may not have filed a tax return for 2019 or 2020, or signed up for the Economic Impact Payments.

If that sounds like you, there’s still time to make sure you get your Child Tax Credit monthly benefits.

Go online to IRS.gov and use the IRS Child Tax Credit Non-filer Sign-up Tool to sign up today.

If your child is a U.S. citizen, you are eligible to receive this benefit—even if you are not a citizen.

Whether you use this money to pay for childcare or put food on the table, it’s going to help fuel our economy and build better lives for your family and millions of others.

For more information, please visit IRS.gov.

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