Advocacy group recommends expanded child tax credit to help children of color

When it comes to the wellbeing of children, no race or ethnic group in Nevada is faring particularly well compared to other states. But some are struggling significantly more, “a direct result of choices to not invest in policies, programs and services that support children, especially in under-resourced communities and communities of color,” concludes a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The Casey Foundation looked at 12 indicators representing important milestones and resources  across a life. They include participation in early education, fourth and eighth grade proficiency, and whether a child lives in a two-parent household.

The result is an index ranging from zero to 1,000 that reflects children’s wellbeing. In Nevada, scores ranged from 670 for Asian and Pacific Islander children to 326 for Black children.

The foundation also ranked each racial and ethnic group compared to other states.

When it comes to the well-being of Black children, Nevada ranked 39th of the 46 states ranked, with an index score of 326.

With an index score of 407, Latino children ranked 41st out of 50.

With an index score of 670, Asian and Pacific Islander children fared better than other groups in Nevada but still placed 35th out of 45 states nationwide.

The same was true for white children, with an index score of 662. They ranked 33rd in the county 

For children of two or more races — a rapidly growing segment of the population — 34th out of 50.

For American Indian or Alaskan Native children, Nevada ranked 20th of the 31 states with large enough populations to analyze.

Nevada’s results largely mirrored nationwide trends, which saw Asian, Pacific Islander and white children faring better than Black, Latino and Native children.

To address the disparities, the Casey Foundation is advocating for the return of the expanded federal child tax credit, writing that the policy “immediately improved financial stability for families of all racial and ethnic groups.”

Data suggests the expansion of the federal child tax credit in 2021 brought 2.1 million children out of poverty and temporarily reduced the share of kids in poverty to the lowest rate on record.

Efforts failed to make those pandemic-era expansions permanent before they expired, and the child poverty rate more than doubled in 2022, erasing all the gains.

President Joe Biden and other key Democrats as recently as this month have continued to push for expansion of the federal child tax credit program.

Since the federal enhancement ended, several states have launched or expanded their own child tax credits, Stateline reported last year.

Six states have created new child tax credits (New Jersey, New Mexico and Vermont in 2022, and Minnesota, Oregon and Utah this year), while five more have expanded their existing credits, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

Currently 14 states offer child tax credits. Nevada is not one of them.

The foundation also recommends expansion of Medicaid, the earned income tax credit, baby bonds, and children’s savings accounts. It also recommends more targeted programs and policies focused on young people of color, “because universal policies are important but insufficient for continued progress.”

“It’s clear from the gains during the last legislative session that everyone wants to make a bright future for the next generation of Nevadans,” said Holly Welborn, executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Alliance, in a statement. “We need to come together to find the best path to do this.”