The Center on Budget Policy and Priorities (CBPP) hosted a webinar on local strategies for Child Tax Credit outreach on August 3. Local communities, including city governments, shared how they are conducting outreach and providing hands-on assistance to help ensure all eligible children receive the Child Tax Credit. They also explored approaches to address funding and capacity challenges for conducting outreach and resources to support Child Tax Credit outreach efforts. Below are links to additional resources and research to assist your organization with outreach, and to better inform your organization’s initiatives or strategies around the Child Tax Credit.
These resources include FAQs, guides to the IRS non-filer form and Child Tax Credit Update Portal, an outreach toolkit with messaging, outreach materials, social media posts, and templates (press release, call and text scripts, newsletter, radio public service announcement, and media pitch), and a separate toolkit that highlights immigrant eligibility for the Child Tax Credit and Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) that is translated into five languages.
CBPP issued a new analysis on the roughly 4 million or more children in families who are eligible for the Child Tax Credit but who must submit their information to the IRS to get their money. The paper identifies groups to prioritize for outreach, includes state by state numbers, and offers suggestions for steps that states as well as community service providers can take to help vulnerable families claim the substantial Child Tax Credit payment (up to $,3,600 per child). Many families may also be eligible for three previous EIPs (totaling $3,200 for adults and $2,500 per child).
Eligible families can sign up to get advance Child Tax Credit payments through the fall, but those families who miss out on advance payments can get the full amount of the Child Tax Credit when the file a 2021 tax return in 2022.