Washington, DC recently made history for all the right reasons. At a moment when families across our city are working harder than ever to build stability, the District Council and the mayor have taken a meaningful, compassionate, and forward-thinking step by becoming the first city in the nation to establish a local child tax credit (CTC). This policy progress will have tremendously positive impacts for many families in Ward 7 and 8 as it could lower tax bills and result in bigger refunds. This isn’t just tax policy, it’s community, family and economic policy. It’s an investment in District parents raising tomorrow’s leaders and a reminder that when we strengthen families, we strengthen the entire city and metro area.
Here’s how it happened. Just last month, after months of debate and years of local advocacy, the DC Council passed a measure to decouple the District’s tax policy away from federal tax giveaways passed by Congress. In doing so, we unlocked nearly $600 million more for needed social investments locally. Among those investments is the newly created child tax credit (CTC), set to take effect in 2027, providing up to $1,000 per child for all eligible families in the District. That’s real money, from the District, back in your family’s pocket. It is the first city-level CTC in the United States and aligns with research showing that child tax credits significantly reduce child poverty just as it did at the federal level during Covid-19.
Some have questioned the ‘emergency’ nature of its passage, but the truth is simple: when a policy is proven, urgent, and life-changing, acting swiftly is the kind of leadership our city has always needed. Here, DC made a values-driven choice: courage over complacency, and children over forced austerity…