Arkansas: Making the Case for the Child Tax Credit

August has been a very busy month in Arkansas with our fight to cut the poverty rate. We have concluded all of the town hall meetings that we helped facilitate and we began reporting back to the Arkansas Legislative Task Force on Reducing Poverty and Promoting Economic Opportunity. Members of the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families staff reported at the task force’s public hearing on recommendations from the town hall meetings. A common theme was the need for governments and community organizations to be visible and active in impoverished areas. The time for action is now!

AACF has also been in an active dialogue with both Sen. Blanche Lincoln and Sen. Mark Pryor’s offices to advocate on behalf of federal policy issues that help keep people out of poverty. Both senators have expressed interest in supporting the extension of the refundable Child Tax Credit, leaving the earning threshold at $3,000. Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel has also partnered with local law enforcement and the national “Fight Crime: Invest in Kids” network, advocating the tax credit extension as a means of keeping children out of poverty and out of trouble with the law.