State Fact Sheets: How Are Families Using the Child Tax Credit?

Updated September 24, 2021 | Posted September 14, 2021

By the Annie E. Casey Foundation

Thanks to child tax credit, families more able to meet food needs of children

The Annie E. Casey Foundation has long endorsed an increase in the child tax credit (CTC) — and other policies — to improve the lives of kids and families. Enacted in March 2021, the federal American Rescue Plan significantly strengthened the child tax credit to include, for the first time, regular monthly payments to parents. This proactive support will reach 88% of children and youth nationwide, a lifeline for parents trying to pay rent, buy food and clothes, save for their children’s education and meet other critical needs.

To demonstrate the immediate impact of the child tax payments, the Casey Foundation recently partnered with the Social Policy Institute at Washington University to develop easy-to-read fact sheets that include data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey. These fact sheets show how families making less than $150,000 a year are using the credit and what kind of a difference it is making in their lives.

The data presented on the fact sheets were collected between July 21, 2021, and August 16, 2021, covering the period in which the first two child tax credit payments were deposited in families’ bank account.

In addition to the fact sheets, the Social Policy Institute released a national report on how families intended to use the child tax credit payments based on surveys from July 8–13, 2021.

National and State Data on Child Tax Credit Payments

These fact sheets include key data on recipients, payment usage and hardship or food security reduction. Additional state fact sheets are available on the Social Policy Institute’s website.