Monthly Child Tax Credit Checks Begin Arriving for Washington Families in July

At your YMCA of Greater Seattle, we are committed to helping families remove financial barriers and creating access for all to our gyms, pools, camps, health programs, and services. Which is why we wanted to make working families aware of an important new IRS tax benefit that will impact all Washington families this year.

From July 15 through December 15, an expansion to the Child Tax Credit will provide monthly direct payments to all eligible families in Washington with children under 17. The benefit, created under the American Rescue Plan last March, allocates six automatic payments of $250 or $300 per child, regardless of income, and affects nearly 80% of Washingtonians.

Families with children ages 5 and under may receive up to $300 per child, per month, and up to $1,800 in tax credits. Families with children ages 6-17 qualify to receive up to $250 per child, per month, and up to $1,500 in tax credits. This is a change from the previous qualifications, which capped the age limit at 16 and only allowed $2,000 per child in tax credits. Get the full details of the plan here.

Do I Qualify for the Child Tax Credit?

To qualify, families must have filed taxes in 2019 or 2020 and earned less than $150,000 for a couple or $112,500 as a single head of household. If you are a parent and have yet to file your taxes, you are encouraged to file as soon as possible to claim your full benefit.

Even if you didn’t earn enough money to be required to file taxes, you can still get benefits though a non-filer sign up.

These payments are the largest Child Tax Credits in our nation’s history and comes at a time when families need a helping hand. At the Y, we have heard from parents struggling to make ends meet and from children worried about their futures.

The pandemic made it clear that a community must come together for all in times of hardship. As our friends and neighbors emerge from the economic strife of the pandemic and regain their footing, the monthly payments are expected to allow families greater access to food and shelter to provide for their children while helping reduce risks of childhood poverty.

In addition to spreading the word about these credits, the Y also works everyday to help families close any remaining gap in services and support. If you, or someone you know, is in need of child care, hunger outreach, or youth housing, please take a moment to learn more about our programs.