John,
Starting yesterday, 36 million families with children have begun to receive the enhanced child tax credit: $3,600 for children under the age of 6, and $3,000 for children between the ages of 6 and 17. But for families headed by single parents, this tax credit is harder to get, leaving tons of families out of these critical payments.
As one of the only single moms in Congress, Katie knows there's no discount for raising kids, no matter how many parents are in the household. That’s why she introduced a bill earlier this year to strike what she calls the “single parent penalty” from the tax code.
The child tax credit is about the cost of having a child—not whether their parents are married or not. Yet if you’re a child in a single parent household, you’re less likely to get the tax credit, and you’ll even get a smaller amount in some cases than children who are living in families with two parents.
That’s why Katie calls this deficit the single parent penalty. Research frequently shows that children of single parent households often need the most support—but our laws, including this most recent child tax credit, don’t yet reflect that.
John, children of single parent households deserve just as much support from their government as children in dual parent households. And Katie’s proud to go to work every day in Congress to fight for all families—including ones headed by single parents. Please add your name today to show support for working families.
Thank you,
Katie Porter HQ
