What the Biden administration can do to tackle child poverty (Opinion)

[ad_1]

It took him three months to start collecting unemployment benefits. Meanwhile, her ex-husband stopped paying child support, and with family court hearings dramatically reduced during the pandemic, Dominguez had little legal recourse.

“My first fear was, how am I going to buy food and make a rent? she remembered after approaching Urban Amount (a Suraj organization has a volunteer position on the board of directors that provides financial advice as well as banking and investment services to help end cycles of poverty in New York City). With no income, she dipped into her savings and had no choice but to stop paying off her student loans. She also used up to five credit cards – leaving her credit score shot – just so her family could survive.

No family should have to live on the brink in America. We can help improve the financial security of families like Juanita’s by providing direct monthly payments to families with children. The US bailout, the $ 1.9 trillion Covid relief bill that passed in the Senate on Saturday, includes a one-year-old child tax credit of $ 3,600 for every child under 6 years and $ 3,000 for each child under 18. first step, child benefits must be made permanent.

The Covid-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the problem of child poverty. In New York City, where we both live, an estimated 2.1 million children no longer had access to free and discounted meal programs after schools closed, leading the state to problem additional food aid of $ 880 million. Many students here and across the country are also late for school – or not showing up completely – due to lack of internet connection, laptops or stable home environments that To allow to fully engage in e-learning.

But this crisis of child poverty existed long before the pandemic struck. This is in part a case of our ill-generated political priorities. Currently less than 10% of the federal budget goes to children, although the government’s investment in children is typically pay for himself and then some.

The crisis is also the product of a simple economy: having children increases the risk of a family falling into poverty: more children means more mouths to feed. And because many parents have children relatively early in their working lives, their lower wages leave them less able to afford the new expenses associated with raising children. Without government support, many young families are struggling without financial security.

This reflects the problem that older people faced after the Great Depression. According to the social security administration, more than half of elderly people in America lacked sufficient income to support themselves in 1934. The government responded to this social crisis by creating social security for to bring the elderly with a decent and dignified retirement.

We should do the same at the other end of life. That’s why, when I ran for Congress last year, I drafted and championed a policy that would streamline our complicated family allowance policy into a single universal child dividend that functions than Social Security for children. This would have provided $ 500 per month for each child up to age five, then $ 350 per month up to age 18 with no conditions or qualification requirements.

It is encouraging that similar proposals have since gained ground in Congress. Senator Mitt Romney offers a monthly family allowance program in February, while the US bailout heads to the House for final approval on Tuesday before President Joe Biden enacts it.

The relief bill would provide significant help to millions of families, but it could be improved to have a greater impact. The government should provide additional assistance to families with young children and increase benefits to $ 500 per month (instead of $ 300 per month for children under 6 years old). new relief bill). This money should also be deposited immediately into new individual bank accounts created automatically for all Americans by the Federal Reserve, such as Senator Sherrod Brown. has proposed – so parents don’t have to wait for checks to arrive in the mail or for direct deposits to clear. Bank accounts would also allow parents to spend the money without any fees or minimum balance requirements. More importantly, the child tax credit should become permanent.

For families like Juanita’s, the perk may well change the trajectory of her children’s lives. “My oldest son needs a physics and math teacher,” she told us. The benefit would eventually cover the costs of college applications and SAT preparation.

“Safety is everything,” she said. “Financial security helps me have confidence in myself; she helps my family grow. Now is the time for our political leaders to step up to ensure the economic security children and families need to thrive.

[ad_2]

Oxus Com

Main Menu

Oxus Com

What the Biden administration can do to tackle child poverty (Opinion)

Oxus Com

Main Menu

Oxus Com

What the Biden administration can do to tackle child poverty (Opinion)

Related posts:

Three things to know about donating points ...

Garnish for a Christmas tradition | ...