CSSP Research into Child Tax Credit & Child Care

Let Us Rise: How Parents and Caregivers Would Design a Permanent Child Allowance to Advance Racial and Economic Justice

To learn how a child allowance can be designed to meet families’ needs and advance racial and economic justice, CSSP interviewed more than 40 Black, Latinx, and other parents and caregivers of color with low and moderate incomes, asking about their goals for themselves and their families, their experiences with the Child Tax Credit and other programs that helped meet their needs, and what they would need from a permanent child allowance in order to support their families and fulfill their goals.

Where Do We Go From Here?: How Temporary Investments in the Child Tax Credit & Child Care Impacted North Carolina Families, and the Road Ahead

In this report, we explore how federal investments in the Child Tax Credit and child care helped North Carolina families and early educators get through the pandemic, and led them to feel supported by policymakers, and valued for their contributions to society. The findings are clear: to advance economic and racial equity, we must ensure that families and professional caregivers have the permanent, comprehensive support they need.

“We Don’t Have that in Mississippi”: How Temporary Expansions of the Child Tax Credit & Child Care Demonstrate the Importance of Federal Investments & Oversight

This brief synthesizes findings from our research in Mississippi, where we interviewed and surveyed families who identified overwhelmingly as Black or African American, along with diverse child care providers and other stakeholders in the child care sector, to learn whether the Child Tax Credit and child care investments were advancing economic and racial equity and helping families.

A ‘Godsend’: How Temporary Investments in the Child Tax Credit and Child Care Impacted Michigan Families

To learn about the impact of the American Rescue Plan’s short-term investments in the CTC and child care, CSSP conducted interviews with low- and moderate-income (ranging from $0-$55,000/year) families of color, child care providers, and stakeholders in Michigan between September and December 2021. The findings make it clear: Robust, long-term investments in both the Child Tax Credit and child care are necessary so that all families—and particularly families of color—have the support they need to not just survive, but to thrive.

Rescuing Child Care: The American Rescue Plan Act’s Positive Impact for Families
This report looks at interview data combined with research and analysis from additional sources to understand how families benefited from ARPA child care relief funds, with a particular look at Michigan and North Carolina. This report was co-authored by CSSP and The Century Foundation.