In the American Rescue Plan, President Biden has called for expanding the Child Tax Credit (CTC) for one year as part of a comprehensive package to address the ongoing economic crisis. This week the House of Representatives unveiled legislation that would do just that, while U.S. Representatives Rosa DeLauro, Suzan DelBene, and Ritchie Torres simultaneously reintroduced the American Family Act, which would make these expansions of the Child Tax Credit permanent. In order to ensure that families receive the full benefit from these proposed expansions, however, the CTC needs to be reformed so that it functions more like a child allowance.