Earned Income Tax Credit help the one out of six kids in the U.S. who live in poverty

In the richest, most powerful nation on earth one out of six children live in poverty. One of the programs that help these kids who have parents or a parent that works with low income and/or at minimum wage is the Earned Income Tax Credit. This is a program that deserves continued and increased support.

More than one in six American children live in poverty. Nearly 13 million children live in families that earn less than the federal poverty level. For 71 percent of these children, a family member works but simply does not earn enough to support the household.1 The federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) was created in 1975 to support low-income workers. The program was expanded in 1986, 1990, 1993 and 2001, and has become a central part of federal efforts to fight poverty and move Americans from welfare to work. Only wage earners qualify for this program, and the value of the tax credit depends on a worker’s income and family size. Workers who earn the minimum wage benefit most from EITCs.2

Link: Center for Policy Alternatives: EITC.xml.