- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) held a press conference on Monday to explain the expanded Child Tax Credit. New monthly payments begin reaching families’ bank accounts on Thursday.
Davids, a tribal citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation, voted in support of the American Rescue Plan, which expanded and improved the Child Tax Credit to provide more relief to more families through monthly advance payments of up to $300 per child. In a report released last month.
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
As the IRS begins to send out monthly payments starting July 15, it is important that eligible families have all the information needed to receive this benefit.
“After the pandemic devastated both the health of our communities and the stability of our economy, the expanded Child Tax Credit offers a lifeline to families who are trying to get back on their feet,” Davids said. “It’s critical that families have the information they need to access this tax cut and start to return to a sense of normal after a year of uncertainty.”
The IRS recently launched three new online tools designed to help families manage and monitor their advance monthly payments from the Child Tax Credit:
- The Child Tax Credit Eligibility Assistant which helps families determine whether they qualify for Child Tax Credit payments.
- The Update Portal which helps families monitor and manage Child Tax Credit payments. The portal is a secure tool available to any eligible family, and will be where filers can let the IRS know of any changes in their income, address, or family status.
- The Non-filer Sign-up Tool which helps families not normally required to file an income tax return to quickly register for the Child Tax Credit.
More information on the Child Tax Credit (CTC):
The American Rescue Plan expanded the CTC to up to $3,600 per child for children ages 0 to 5 and $3,000 per child for children ages 6 to 17. In addition, it authorized advance monthly payments for eligible families (as opposed to a lump sum payment). Beginning this week and running through December, qualifying families can get up to:
- $300 a month per child for children ages 0 to 5.
- $250 a month per child for children ages 6 to 17.
Families will qualify for a full credit if their income is below $75,000 for single filers, $112,000 for people filing as head of household, or $150,000 for people who are married and filing jointly. To be eligible, children must:
- Have a Social Security number,
- Live with the filer for at least half of the year,
- Be under age 18 as of December 31, 2021, and
- Be claimed on the filer’s tax return.
Children are eligible if they are children, adopted children, stepchildren, half-siblings, foster children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews, or certain other relatives.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Native News Weekly (June 15, 2025): D.C. Briefs
Photographs of the Homecoming of the Three Fires Powwow
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
