‘It would help all of us a lot’: Nevada mom excited by Harris’ plan to expand child tax credit

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has proposed increasing the child tax credit to $6,000 annually for newborns, $3,600 for children ages one to six, and $3,000 for children six and over. Such a proposal could make a huge difference for Nevada mom Rocelia Mendoza.

Money has always been tight for Rocelia Mendoza, a single mom of three kids living in Las Vegas. 

But in recent years, the rising cost of rent has significantly affected Mendoza’s ability to provide for her kids. 

Mendoza, an assistant server at the Wynn Resort, said the existing $2,000 per year Child Tax Credit helps her cover the cost of school supplies, extracurricular activities, and perhaps for a little treat or trip for the family to enjoy. 

“It is a lot of money for expenses as a single mom. Especially when I am living paycheck to paycheck when the child tax credit money comes in, it is something that I am grateful for,” Mendoza said.

But an expansion of the program, like the one Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has proposed, would greatly help her household. 

In Harris’ New Way Forward for the Middle Class agenda, she proposes making the credit fully refundable, expanding eligibility to 17-year-olds, and increasing it to $6,000 annually for newborns, $3,600 for children ages one to six, and $3,000 for children six and over. 

“It would help all of us a lot, not just me, but all the mothers — even if they are not single. Many people need help right now with how the economy is,” Mendoza said.

While both presidential campaigns have mentioned expanding the credit, Mendoza said she trusts Harris more than Trump to keep a promise. 

“The expansion would help me a lot. And I want you to know that if Kamala said it, Kamala is going to do it. We are very confident that Kamala will do that,” Mendoza said. “I don’t think that criminal is going to help us. Absolutely not.”

Donald Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), said in a television interview in August that he would “love to see” the child tax credit increase to $5,000 per child each year, but it does not appear to be an official Trump-Vance campaign plan. Vance, notably, also missed a vote held by Senate Democrats who tried to expand the credit in August. 

Trump himself has been rather silent on the idea of expanding the child tax credit, however. In contrast, Harris speaks about it regularly.

“I know that the vast majority of our young parents have a natural desire to parent their children, but not always have the resources to do it,” Harris said at a Las Vegas rally last month. “And that $6,000, by extending the child tax credit, will help buying a crib, a car seat, doing the things that are so critical in that first phase of life.”

The growing consensus of the need to increase the credit comes nearly three years after a pandemic-era expansion passed by the Biden-Harris administration expired. In 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act temporarily expanded the credit from $2,000 to $3,000 per child, and up to $3,600 for children under the age of 6. 

According to a 2022 report from the US Census Bureau, the increase helped cut US child poverty by nearly half. 

When the expanded credit expired, the number of children experiencing poverty “rose substantially, demonstrating that child poverty is created — and can be alleviated — through policy choices,” according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 

Holly Welborn, executive director of the nonprofit Children Advocate Alliance of Nevada, said “the number one indicator of child wellbeing is family income,” meaning parents are able to provide a stable environment for their children, which has become more challenging as the cost of living increases with inflation. 

“Families, who are not able to do that because their wages have stagnated are being evicted, they’re losing their homes, they’re putting themselves in a position where they are unable to care for their children, which feeds children into the child welfare system unnecessarily,” Welborn said. “And it has significant impacts on the health and well-being of children who are living in poverty and have that instability and stress. They also have trouble focusing in school. So the child tax credit is hugely impactful and it’s the very baseline of what we need to be doing to promote long-term outcomes for children.” 

Welborn said that children’s wellbeing is one of the few “unifying issues” and that a bipartisan effort is warranted.   

“I want to see this be bipartisan. These are issues that are on the top of people’s minds. I think, regardless of which package moves forward, we want the strongest package possible, and it is what voters want,” Welborn said, adding that childcare and cost of living are contributing factors for families’ decision making — in the home and in politics alike. 

“Our government can act in a way that is responsible to help families and to help support families to support our economy and that begins by really working to make a difference for kids,” she continued. “I think that it’s heartening to see that these issues that we’ve been advocating for and talking about for decades, have finally been elevated to the national stage.”