Spotlight on Poverty has published an overview of the two major child poverty alleviation policy proposals currently under debate. Both proposals improve upon the existing child tax credit, which is effective but does not reach all families since it is restricted to those with annual incomes above $2,500. The current annual Child Tax Credit pays qualifying families $2,000 for each child under 17 years old. Senator Romneys plan proposes to direct monthly cash payments to households with childrenproviding $350 for each child under 6 years old and $250 for each child age 6 to 18. However, the plan would be financed by consolidating or eliminating existing social assistance programs like TANF. The other plan is proposed by the Biden administration as part of the next pandemic relief package. This plan would enhance the current child tax credit by increasing credits to $3,600 per child under 6 and $3,000 for children over 6 years old. Spotlight also includes links to additional resources for more detail on each of the plans and policy analyses. #families
