CTC Letter To Congress

Dear Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, and Minority Leader McCarthy,  

  
On behalf of the 800 leaders of color in our network, Educational Leaders of Color (EdLoC), we write to urge Congress to expand the Child Tax Credit (CTC) before the end of the year. In the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Congress temporarily expanded the CTC, paid it monthly, and made it fully refundable:  it increased the maximum credit to $3,600 per child for children through age 5 and $3,000 for children aged 6 to 17; it allowed families to newly claim their 17-year-old children; and it made the credit fully available to families with children that lacked earnings in a year or had earnings that were too low. This expansion was critical to the health and well-being of millions of children and families across the United States.  

As leaders of color, many of whom experienced poverty as children, EdLoC is uniquely positioned to understand that thriving in the United States is a multi-faceted endeavor. Ultimately, the equity we hope education can foster is only possible if we confront and address the social and economic challenges that have disproportionately impacted communities of color since this nation was founded. We work toward the day when young people of color are thriving, building generational wealth, and facing fewer systemic barriers to capitalize on opportunities that foster successful academic, employment, health, housing, banking, and other important life outcomes. Education isn't the key to wealth; wealth is the key to education.   

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2021, the CTC helped millions of families meet their basic needs, such as housing, food, utilities, clothing, and education expenses and lifted 5.3 million people out of poverty, including 2.9 million children. The inclusion of the expanded CTC in the ARPA reduced the Black child poverty rate by 6.3 percentage points, from 14.5% to 8.1%. Similarly, the CTC reduced the Hispanic child poverty rate by 6.3 percentage points. The CTC also removed 820,000 White, non-Hispanic children and 110,000 Asian children from poverty.  

Unfortunately, the expanded CTC expired at the end of 2021. And, as a result, the monthly child poverty rate increased from 12.1% in December 2021 to 17% in January 2022, representing 3.7 million more children in poverty. Latino and Black children experienced the largest percentage-point increases in poverty (7.1 percentage points and 5.9 percentage points, respectively).  

Maximizing the potential of children and youth should be our collective priority; research shows that one-third to one-half of children who are poor for a substantial part of their childhood will be poor as adults. Since well-being is a key variable on the journey to success, it is essential that policies designed to ensure children and youth can thrive also ensure their caregivers have adequate resources to provide stability at home.  

Congress must take action and expand the CTC before the end of the year, including making the credit fully refundable permanent.   

  
Sincerely,  

Members, of Education Leaders of Color

Patrick Jones  

Kimi Kean  

Dominique Lee  

Jennifer Lopez  

Dr. Laura McGowan-Robinson  

Crystal McQueen-Taylor  

Edwine Michel  

Dr. Alicia Montgomery  

Norledia Moody  

Alli Myatt  

Michelle Oliva  

Cardell Orrin  

Sonia Park  

Stephanie Parra  

Earl Martin Phalen  

Stephen Pham  

Erica Phillips  

Dr. Ana Ponce  

Ron Rapatalo  

Richard Rivera  

Manuel Romero  

Lynn Ross  

Armin Salek  

Dr. LaShon Sawyer  

Dr. Michelle Seijas  

Naomi Shelton  

Dr. Gisele C. Shorter  

Dr. Dedrick Sims  

Mohan Sivaloganathan  

Jessica Smith  

Angelica Solis-Montero  

Tanya St. Julien  

Ariel Taylor Smith  

Nithi Thomas  

Ramona Santos Torres  

Hoa Truong  

LaTisha Vaughn  

Sophia Velez  

Karla Vigil  

Michelle Vilchez  

Dr. Shannon R. Waite  

Dr. Bobby White  

Carla Williams  

DeRonda Williams  

Dr. Paris Woods  

Carl Woodward  

Shantelle Wright  

Judith Yañez  

Andrea Zayas  

Sharhonda Bossier, EdLoC CEO  

Greg Gunn, EdLoC Board Chair  

Dr. Manny A. Aceves  

Jenny Aguas  

Dahlia Aguilar  

Danielle Allen  

Malika Anderson  

Daniel Anello  

Erica Anthony-Benavides  

Jose N. Arenas  

Dr. Amber Banks  

Dr. Cheyenne Batista  

Maia Blankenship  

Kenya Bradshaw  

Dr. Travis Bristol  

Rhonda Broussard  

Dr. Tequilla Brownie  

Jasmine Bowles  

Maya Bugg  

Maya Martin Cadogan  

Dr. Tommy Chang  

Brandon Clark  

Dr. Marla M. Dean  

Toni Rose Deanoj  

Leticia de la Vara  

Krupa Desai  

Vanessa Douyon  

Shani Dowell  

Mary Duran  

Sharif El-Mekki  

Seewan Eng  

Meladee Evans  

Dr. Patrice Fenton  

Yolie Flores  

Kendrick Friendly  

Dr. Diarese George  

Thaly Germain  

Danielle M Gonzalez  

Natalie Gordon   

Dr. Nancy Gutierrez  

Heather Harding  

Rich Harrison  

Stacey Shells Harvey  

Kaya Henderson  

Robert Hendricks  

Adrienne Hudson  

Jin-Soo Huh  

Carlon Howard  

Orville Jackson  

Keecia James  

Ismael Jimenez