Advocates Urge Connecticut to Create Refundable Child Tax Credit, Back Revenue Bills to Fund Programs

Advocates for children, health equity and immigrant access to services urged the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee on Oct. 27 to establish a refundable child tax credit and approve revenue measures to fund it and related programs.

Rosanna Ferraro, policy director at the Universal Healthcare Foundation of Connecticut, testified in support of HB 5,986 and SB 7 40 and said a refundable permanent child tax credit would "improve the economic security of families with children." Ferraro said such measures should be paired with broader revenue-raising proposals that "tax those most able to afford it."

Emmy (Emmeline) Franklin, a graduate social work student and lifelong Connecticut resident, told the committee that raising a child in Connecticut is expensive and that a refundable child tax credit is associated with measurable improvements in health and economic outcomes. Franklin cited a Moody's Analytics estimate that each dollar of child tax credit returns $1.38 to the economy, and she noted that child poverty in Connecticut rose after the federal expansion of the credit expired.

Catherine Vieva, Coalition Director for Husky for Immigrants, said the coalition supports SB 7 40, HB 59 86 and related revenue bills and urged an inclusive definition of family and implementation mechanisms to reach households who do not file taxes. "The child tax credit effectiveness is directly, directly addresses childhood poverty," Vieva said, adding that the state saw sharp reductions in childhood poverty during the federal ARPA expansion.

Personal care assistants and home-care workers also testified that revenue-raising proposals such as a capital gains tax and other measures are necessary to stabilize home care and Medicaid-funded services. Jonathan Stakely, a personal care assistant from Gales Ferry, said low wages and limited benefits make home care work unsustainable for many and asked lawmakers to "pass policies like the capital gains tax and child tax credit to finally start to balance the budget on the backs of billionaire shoulders instead of the backs of workers like me."

Speakers highlighted both the direct anti-poverty effects of a refundable child tax credit and the need to pair that investment with other revenue changes so that Medicaid, long-term services, home care, and supportive programs are adequately funded.

Speakers

Rosanna Ferraro, Policy Director, Universal Healthcare Foundation of Connecticut (nonprofit)

Emmeline Franklin, Graduate Student, University of Connecticut School of Social Work (citizen)

Catherine Vieva, Coalition Director, Husky for Immigrants (nonprofit coalition)

Jonathan (John) Stakely, Personal Care Assistant (citizen)

Nut graf: Witnesses argued that a refundable child tax credit would reduce childhood poverty and produce measurable economic returns, but several said it must be combined with revenue measures to fund Medicaid, home care, and other services.

Details and context: Speakers cited federal ARPA-era expansions and state child poverty data as evidence. Advocates also pressed for an inclusive definition of family to ensure immigrant households benefit and recommended following the application approach used for the 2022 child tax rebate to reach nonfilers.

Ending: The committee took testimony but did not vote at the hearing. Proposals including SB 7 40 and related revenue bills remain under committee consideration.