Originally posted on Newsweek. Next week, 36 million American households will receive their third monthly payment of the recently expanded Child Tax Credit. The credit, which has a long history of bipartisan support and was increased under the American Rescue Plan, provides families on average more than $400 each month, a cash infusion that experts […]
Originally posted on the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Last week, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its re-evaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP). The TFP is how benefits in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are determined, and its recent re-evaluation led the USDA to increase benefits in the program by 27 […]
Originally posted on Boston.com. In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon runners share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. If you’re running the marathon, you can share your #WhyImRunningBoston story here. Name: Richard Sheward Age: 35 From: Brookline, Mass. While there are many reasons why I’m running the 2021 Boston Marathon, the […]
Originally posted on Bostonia. Slammed by Twin Pandemics For caregivers at the Grow Clinic at Boston Medical Center (BMC) treating children identified as “failure to thrive” for lack of adequate nutrition, the pandemic has been a wrenching period without precedent. The clinic’s caseload soared 40 percent, with new referrals arriving in a more dire state than usual—some […]
Originally posted on WBUR. The first monthly child tax credit payments are going out today, and the IRS estimates that roughly 39 million households, which covers around 88% of children in the country, will receive the credit. But what about the families who won’t receive a check? We talk with Dr. Megan Sandel, a pediatrician […]
Originally posted on the Boston Globe. Local groups are working hard to make the process easier. At their urging, the IRS recently introduced a ”non-filers portal” where people who do not file taxes can register to receive the credit. Even that “could really be simplified,” said Allison Bovell-Ammon, director of policy strategy at BMC’s Children’s […]
Originally posted on USA Today News. More kids going hungry The pandemic has deprived millions of children of school-related services that normally blunt the harm caused by poverty. From March to May 2020, students missed more than 1.1 billion free or reduced-price meals that would have been provided in school. Children who experience even occasional “food insecurity” […]
Originally posted on Financial Regulation News. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced legislation that seeks to reduce the number of evictions in the United States. The Eviction Crisis Act of 2021 – introduced by U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Rob Portman (R-OH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Todd Young (R-IN) – would address the eviction […]
Originally posted on HealthCity. To sustain health equity, focus on specific zip codes BMC pediatrician Megan Sandel, MD, MPH, believes to move toward true, sustainable advancements in health equity, health systems must directly address the disinvestment in communities of color and work to change systems that make economic opportunities, including living-wage jobs, inaccessible for so many. “Place […]
Sen. Markey to speak at June 10 webinar on maximizing tax benefits BOSTON, MA — The Shah Family Foundation, in partnership with Children’s HealthWatch, Greater Boston Legal Services, Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP), and the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI), today launched a new centralized website called FindYourFunds.org to help Massachusetts residents access available […]