- In 2021, Congress temporarily expanded the Child Tax Credit (CTC) to make a larger cash benefit available to more families with children in advance payments.
- To gain insights into parents’ perceptions of the expanded CTC, Children’s HealthWatch conducted one-on-one and focus group interviews with 20 mothers of young children in Boston, MA, Minneapolis, MN, and Little Rock, AR.
- Results show monthly payments of the expanded CTC allowed mothers to attend to their families’ unique needs and facilitated choices that supported parent mental health and self-perception. However, unclear public communication and delivery structures created barriers to access, and Congress’ failure to make the expansion permanent broke trust in government.
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