Thanks to the Child Tax Credit included in President Biden and Democrats’ American Rescue Plan, child poverty across the country is on track to decrease by 40 percent. Since these monthly tax cuts started hitting North Carolina families’ bank accounts in July, parents across the state have publicly stated how much of a difference these payments have made in their lives. 

See below to see how the Child Tax Credit has impacted families across North Carolina:

ABC11: ‘It’s a blessing:’ NC families anxiously await arrival of Child Tax Credit checks
Starting Thursday, thousands of parents and guardians across central North Carolina will be receiving monthly Child Tax Credit checks from the federal government. “Some people look at it as handouts, but when you just want to feed your child and just have the lights on when you walk in the house — you just want to have some security that what you’re working toward is coming into fruition… it helps,” said Durham mother Edwina Barbee. Barbee is thankful for the American Rescue Plan check scheduled to hit her bank account this week. Especially after being laid off for 8 months until getting a new job as a bank teller just before the pandemic hit. She and her 4-year-old are relying mostly on her sole income to get by.

Asheville Citizen-Times: Opinion: Biden’s monthly tax cuts value parents at a level we deserve
I recently opened a letter from the White House outlining how President Biden’s expanded child tax credit will help my family. I breathed a big sigh of relief. These payments, which my family and many working families across our country started receiving last week thanks to the American Rescue Plan, couldn’t come at a more critical time as the transition back to pre-pandemic life and corresponding expenses start to kick in… I love my three kids more than anything in this world. I know that’s how other parents feel too. Through the expanded child tax credit included in his American Rescue Plan, President Biden is showing an unprecedented level of trust for parents. He knows that we know best how to take care of our kids when given the resources to do it. There’s no better way to do this than invest in families to jump start economic mobility and ensure a better future for our children. President Biden is valuing parents at the level we deserve.

News & Observer: ‘It takes away a layer of stress:’Child tax credit payments hit NC bank accounts
For Durham’s Sarai Faison, a working mother of two, the monthly checks that began Thursday from an expanded child tax credit bring a sense of relief. During the coronavirus pandemic, Faison and her husband became a one-income household for a time as they juggled virtual schooling for their 9-year-old daughter and caring for their 3-year-old son at home. Now as they transition back to working full-time outside of the house, their expenses, particularly day care, are rising. ‘What these payments will allow us to do is pay for child care expenses, and it takes away a layer of stress that is inherent in trying to return to the workforce and financially plan for a new setting,’ said Faison, who works in clinical development at a pharmaceutical company.

Spectacular Magazine: [Op-Ed] Biden’s Monthly Tax Cuts Bring Relief; GOP Candidates’ Opposition Hurts Families
This summer, I was relieved to hear my family would be eligible for President Biden’s expanded Child Tax Credit. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, these payments, which started in July, will make a tangible difference for my family and others like mine to help cover the growing cost of raising kids. Now, having received two payments, I can say without a doubt that they have been a game-changer for my family. Like most other parents, this year has been difficult and uncertain, especially for our kids. As the dad of a second-grader, I am so grateful to have this extra relief to pay for the $240 cost of math and reading tutoring that my daughter needs each month. Being in a position to do this for my daughter is a blessing. Without this extra income, I wouldn’t be able to afford the additional help she needs to be successful in the upcoming school year and beyond.

Spectrum News: Using the Child Tax Credit

The Triangle Tribune: John Verdejo: President Biden’s child tax credit is delivering direct relief
As an Afro-Puerto Rican and the proud father of two young boys, I know firsthand how difficult the pandemic and the corresponding economic crisis has been on all families, especially communities of color. The combination of disparities in access to health care and economic opportunities were devastating… The expanded Child Tax Credit is one of the most significant components of the American Rescue Plan that is already making a big difference for communities of color, including in the Triangle. These payments, which are hitting families’ bank accounts for the third month this week, are being provided to the families of nearly 2 million children in North Carolina –providing monthly payments of $300 to the families for each child under 6 years old and $250 to the families for each child between ages 6 and 17.

WNCT: Child Tax Credits Hit Bank Accounts

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