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SUPPORTING AMERICA’S WORKING FAMILIES

·CHILD TAX CREDIT:Under President Trump, the Child Tax Credit was doubled from $1,000 to $2,000 per child and also expanded the eligibility for receiving the credit.

In tax year 2019, nearly 40 million families benefited from the child tax credit (CTC), receiving an average benefit of $2,200 - totaling credits of $88 billion.

In tax year 2019, nearly 6 million families benefited from the child and dependent care tax credit (CDCTC), receiving an average benefit of $551 - totaling credits of $3 billion.

NEWSWEEK: Ivanka Trump Hails Double Child Tax Credit In 2019: What Is It, How Does It Work And Who Can Claim It?

·AFFORDABLE AND HIGH QUALITY CHILD CARE:

CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS (CCDBG): President Trump signed into law the largest ever expansion of the CCDBG to states, increasing from $3.9 billion to $5.8 billion.

As a result, 17 states are able to serve more children, many of which have reduced or eliminated their waitlists for child care altogether.

As a result of Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump’s efforts, the Trump administration was able to prioritize CCDBG funding during the COVID-19 pandemic and helped to secure an additional $3.5 billion in the CARES Act to help families and first responders with child care needs. In addition to supporting funding to improve child care affordability, the President’s budget includes funding for a $1 billion grant fund to help states and communities increase the availability of child care in rural areas and child care deserts.

NPR: Exclusive:White House And Ivanka Trump Propose New Spending On Childcare

·PAID FAMILY LEAVE: It has been over 25 years since the Family and Medical Leave Act was passed in 1993. Over the past three years, The Trump administration has convened lawmakers to advance discussions and foster bipartisanship on this important issue. Thus far, these efforts have successfully secured 12 weeks of paid parental leave for the federal civilian workforce and created the first paid family leave tax credit for employees earning $72,000 or less.

President Trump is the first president to include a national paid leave program in all of his annual budgets and advocated for paid leave in his 2017 Joint Session of Congress address and in his the 2018, 2019 and 2020 State of the Union addresses.

In December 2019, President Trump signed into law a provision that enables new parents to withdraw up to $5,000 from their retirement accounts without penalty when they give birth to or adopt a child.

Senators Cassidy and Sinema and Representatives Stefanik and Allred released the first-ever bipartisan, bicameral bill, the “Advancing Support for Working Families Act,” which funds parental leave through advancing the child tax credit – an approach championed by this Administration.

The Republican Tax Cuts and Jobs Act led the way by creating the first paid family leave tax credit for employees earning $72,000 or less, focusing on those least likely to receive the benefit previously.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump Administration negotiated to ensure workers at small businesses had paid sick leave in order to care for themselves or sick family members.

MCCLATCHY: Ivanka Trump Hopes Next Step In Paid Family Leave Will Be A Policy For All Workers

Scott Sands

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