Alamosa News | Bennet talks (and listens) Child Tax Credit in Alamosa roundtable

ALAMOSA – Surrounded by parents, the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of the Alamosa School District, Alamosa Mayor Ty Coleman, Alamosa County’s Director of Human Resources Myra McKibbon, staff from the San Luis Valley Boys and Girls Club, and local residents interested to learn more about To learn about the program, Senator Bennet hosted a round table discussion Thursday morning to see how the Extended Child Tax Credit (CTC) benefits families in Alamosa. Bennet opened the discussion at the Friends Pavilion by setting out the context of child poverty in the United States compared to other nations of the world and highlighting the benefits he has heard since the extended child tax credit went into effect in July.

“Out of 41 developed countries in the world, the United States ranks 38th in the number of children experiencing child poverty,” said Bennet. “But since July, these payments have helped an overwhelming majority of parents afford things like childcare, groceries, school supplies and other necessary expenses.”

ASD deputy superintendent Luis Murillo mentioned similar stories, including a parent who was able to pay for a family car, which freed up money for childcare, and a mother who was able to buy clothes for her children.

“My kids are very active in school and go to a studio in town to dance,” says Ruby Beltran, parent and member of the SLV Early Childhood Council. “This tax credit helped me pay for her dance shoes and other expenses that are part of after-school activities.”

“I am a single parent. The child allowance helped me pay my rent. It has also helped my girls who play sports, ”said Amberly Atencio, parent and member of the SLV board of directors for early childhood education.

After Mayor Ty Coleman suggested that there be a stronger “educational component” to the public about how the child tax credit works, he spoke about the positive impact of the tax credit on the quality of life of those who are part of the Alamosa community. “The Child Tax Credit gives families facing financial challenges hope to move forward. It gives them the freedom not to have to choose between paying their electricity bills or buying groceries. “

Another parent who attended the round table discussed how the child tax credit could be helpful for couples living in an area with relatively low wages and between a second income and one of the parents who are giving up work because they don’t care for children be able to afford, have to choose – a dilemma experienced by families who could be described as the middle class.

The round table was very interactive with other attendees asking questions about the source of funding for the child tax credit – which was part of Biden’s American Rescue Plan – or the likelihood that it will be extended beyond tax year 2021 – which Bennet thought would be likely if the reconciliation bill were to be raised goes. Bennet answered every question, occasionally jotting down suggestions for education and online access.

Sherri Valdez, moderator of the round table and executive director of the San Luis Valley Early Childhood Council, intervened. “The Child Tax Credit is a historic investment in working families. As the head of a local non-profit organization, we work every year with over 200 children and their families who live in poverty or who have additional risk factors for optimal child development and school readiness. The child tax credit helps our families cover the costs of childcare, groceries and housing, alleviate the stress they experience, and make it easier for them to access basic needs and additional services. Law making the increased child tax credit permanent would turn the tide for children and families in Colorado. ”

Bennet closed the round table optimistically. “As we saw here in Alamosa, the expanded child tax credit is already making a big difference in family lives in Colorado and increasing income. I’ll take the stories I heard today to Washington next week as we work to ensure that tax credit expansion for years to come. “

Senator Bennet has been campaigning for the expansion of the CTC for years. In March 2021, President Joe Biden signed a one-year extension to the CTC based on Bennet’s American Family Act in the American Rescue Plan Act. This expansion has the potential to cut national child poverty nearly in half this year and benefit 90% of American children. Data released by the US Census Bureau in August found that economic hardship in households with children decreased after the first extended CTC payments in July. The data also show that food insufficiency has decreased in households with children.

In his American Families Plan, Biden proposed a permanent full refund of the CTC, as well as an extension of the increased CTC value and monthly payments through 2025. The President also pledged to work with Congress to make the full, expanded CTC permanent. Bennet and his colleagues continue to push for a permanent expansion of the child tax credit in the Build Back Better package.

Whether in DC and hosting an online event, in town halls, or meeting parents and local Colorado leaders while the Senate was on hiatus, Senator Bennet has spent considerable time having conversations and discussions similar to those of the Extended Child Tax Credits will become a reality in the lives of Colorado families for no long time.