Dear John,

More than 10 million children in the U.S. were living in poverty in 2019—and for the first time in recent memory, leaders on both sides of the aisle are joining our years-long fight to do something about it.

It’s been a long time coming, but our nation’s lawmakers are now finally getting serious about fighting child poverty by putting cash directly into the hands of the families who most need it.

Congressional action on a no-strings-attached child allowance is gaining steam, and it’s clear why: nearly a year of an economic crisis created by the pandemic has pushed families deeper into poverty and threatened the security of millions more.

Here’s what you need to know:

• President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID relief package made headlines for including a temporary expansion of the Child Tax Credit that would lead to the largest reduction in child poverty in decades. In making his case for the bill, President Biden cited data from our reports that show the magnitude of our child poverty crisis.
• Last week, Democrats in Congress reintroduced the American Family Act that would likewise create a powerful child allowance, this time by permanently improving the Child Tax Credit. This proposal would be transformative, cutting child poverty nearly in half.
• Even GOP Senator Mitt Romney has introduced a plan for a child allowance, though his proposal falls short of creating the same pathway to ending child poverty.

For a family struggling to put food on the table, keep the lights on, or keep their children safely housed, the power of a child allowance is clear: fast, flexible assistance allows them to meet their most urgent needs. We’re calling on Congress to pass short-term improvements to the Child Tax Credit as part of the COVID relief package and to build on that success by creating a permanent, robust child allowance with the power to end child poverty.

Learn more about the various proposals making headlines.

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