The Census Bureau just announced that child poverty increased by almost 140% – the largest ever year-over-year increase – as pandemic-era relief program expansions and implementations lapsed.

The child poverty rate rose from 5.2% to 12.4% between 2021 and 2022. 12.4% of children living in poverty in one of the richest countries on Earth is completely unacceptable. We can and must do better.

In fact, we already did better in 2021, when we had the lowest child poverty rate on record, as a result of these pandemic-era programs that support families in need, including direct payments to households in 2020 and 2021, enhanced benefits ranging from rental assistance to unemployment benefits and an expanded Child Tax Credit. We can and must do better.

It’s time to permanently expand this lifeline – for our kids.

Please urge your representatives in Washington, D.C. to bring back the expanded Child Tax Credit and make it permanent.