Each year come April, millions of Americans feel Uncle Sam reach into their pockets and take some of what they’ve worked for and earned. Where that money goes depends on how our elected officials decide to allocate it. 

In the past, we’ve seen it go towards funding good things like border security, public safety, and infrastructure. On the flip side, our dollars have also gone to fund abortions through Planned Parenthood, increased DEI efforts, and many questionable expenditures in foreign countries. 

But what if that money came back into your pocket to support your family?

While Republicans hold the majority in our Congressional chambers, now is the time that relief could be seen for those most deserving of it – American families. Inflation and the cost of living are no secrets, and it remains imperative that we don’t lose sight of those tasked with raising the next generations of Americans. 

The high cost of living becomes discouraging for young people looking to become homeowners, raise a family, and achieve financial freedom. What if Congress accounted for those things and passed more tax breaks for families?

Right now, tax credits DO exist that help curb the amount that families pay in annually. Families receive a $2,200 Child Tax Credit for each qualifying child, which reduces tax liability or can potentially be a refund if the credit is more than what is owed. This number was recently adjusted from $2,000 to $2,200 when the One Big Beautiful Bill was passed in 2025. 

While this was a step in the right direction, the current number still falls short compared to the inflation-adjusted value of $2,500. This means that families aren’t getting enough back to keep up with inflation and cost of living increases. A $200 upgrade was seen in 2025, and hope remains that the additional $300 would be recognized and enacted soon. Vice President JD Vance proposed a $5,000 Child Tax Credit, and to that we would be thrilled!

While the Child Tax Credit seems to be fairly easy to obtain, there’s a hurdle that is costing families eligibility: you won’t receive it until you have $2,500 of earned income. Families that are in need of the Child Tax Credit the most aren’t receiving it due to this hurdle. 

For people like single parents, those who stay home with a child, or are caretakers for someone with a disability, $2,500 doesn’t come overnight. By eliminating that threshold, the Child Tax Credit could give a meaningful boost to those who need it most.

There’s a third tax break for families: the Child and Dependent Care tax credit. Worth at least $3,000 (minimum) per child, it helps offset childcare expenses for families where both parents work outside the home. Families with two or more children are eligible for up to $7,500.

Here’s the kicker: unless both parents work outside the home, your family doesn’t qualify. 

That creates an odd incentive. Families with a stay-at-home parent are already giving up the income that parent could earn in the workforce, yet they receive no comparable tax relief. 

According to Motley Fool Money, families with two income-earners make an average of $142,200 annually. For families with a single income, they average $71,720. In other words, the families earning roughly twice as much are eligible for a tax credit that many lower-income, single-income families cannot receive. 

Families who choose to live off a single income forgo about $70,000 a year to have a parent care for their children full time. Yet the tax code rewards families who pay someone else to provide that care while offering nothing to those who make the financial sacrifice to do it themselves. 

A stay-at-home parent spends an estimated 16,000 additional hours of quality time with their child compared with families that rely on full-time childcare and schools. That’s 16,000 hours of direct parental involvement. If the goal is to support families raising children, it doesn’t make sense to exclude households that choose to provide that care themselves. 

The Child and Dependent Care tax credit absolutely should apply to single-income families. Penalizing families for not sending their kids to daycare or public school when they’re already making tens of thousands of dollars less than those who do qualify for the credit simply does not make sense. 

Congress can use a process called the budget reconciliation to provide these tax breaks for families with a simple majority vote in the Senate, rather than the 60 votes usually needed to overcome a filibuster. Through reconciliation, we are hopeful that Congress will see the needs of working families and strive to support them through these efforts.

To get a quick summary of how the budget reconciliation process works, watch our explainer video here!