And you know I am I so enjoyed meeting candidate. I love meeting our young leaders and Kennedy is one of them
I just visited one of the classrooms Myrna,
and I actually when
we look at it, and our children right and I was raised I think we all know, we think of the children of the community they are the children of the community. And when I lived here, and our children. It just was visiting them, our futures. Our futures right and you know we have, it's such a in particular particular
age
stages of development. For girls, because they haven't yet really encumbered or burdened with like anyone's limited expectations or, or just an inability to understand capacity, the God given axiom and original.
And they know.
They know it. And so it is our responsibility as the adults of the community. The news app
to send
every message possible and every way to remind you of how special they are
to us.
So it is such a joy to watch today.
And I want to thank you for inviting
me.
So as we think about what we are doing next. I do want to say that there is a lot to do in terms of knowing how to medical the children are here and it's beautiful.
And then to thank also the parents,
for what you're doing. You know the children here reminds me of a young girl I met several months ago. Her name is Gail, and she is five years old, and, And from the moment I walked into her classroom. She was
at one moment I bent down to
speak to her. And I said Jayla. You can be anything you want to be, and she reminded me of of Kennedy and all of the children I was just, and I said to her, you can be anything you want to be and not like any children that I just visited with. She looked at me with me in my eyes, and said, Well, I want to be everything. Everything. Everything. And I know that all the children here would say the same thing.
So President Joe Biden I determined to build
a future
that is worthy of the aspiration and ambition of our children, when we took office, we knew that building that future would not be easy. The President and I knew the serious challenges, the children of our nation are facing. We know that the pandemic did not invent these challenges, but it's certainly accelerate these challenges, as you talked about childcare centers were closed, parents have been out of work families budgets have been stretched so many families who count on, grandparents, to be part of the supports, did not have that support system because of the nature of the pandemic. And of course, millions of children. As a result of all fell into poverty. On top of the children already are in conflict before the pageant. So that is why we put the children in the back at the center of our agenda for all those reasons. And that is one we put it at the center of the American rescue and fought very hard to get that plan passed, and you know people ask me sometimes they say Well, so what have you enjoyed most about being Vice President. And I tell them every time because this is just the honest to God truth,
we will move to America's children.
We will attack with America's children.
So, with the American rescue plan. We did three big things which is the subject of my conversation with you today. In particular, we increase the child tax credit. We expanded the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. And we made a historic investment in child care. So today I'm going to give an update on the implementation of each of these three components first the child tax credit. So this credit is for families with children. And we increase the credit from $2,000 per person to $3,000 per child, for children over the age of six, and
3600 for children
under the age of six. And now, it also applies to children up to age 70 So we increase the age. We've also expanded the credit to more families than ever before. So now, low income families, or parents with knowing will also receive this credit for their children, because before it was a tax credit, with the assumption that you get the credit if you had an income if it paid enough taxes to get the credit from what you would pay. Now we have extended it to say, Well, no, that's, let's just talk about parents, if we agree that parents need
a little extra level. Well, why
would we
differentiate between the parents that, that are coming in income taxes are those. That's not logical. As a matter of fact, so that's why we extended it and for the first time. Another unique piece of this is families will get the credit, every month, instead of at the end to be here, and why that was pretty basic, most how to pay the bills every month. So, let's make it actually real and connected with the demands and the pressures of being a parent and raising a family, particularly with young children. So the checks will start dropping in July. That's part of the announcement today to remind me. And we,
and we want to make sure that every family with children, qualifies for this tax season, because of course they deserve it. And because that will help us lift those children on mentioned before, living in poverty.
So on Monday June 21
We are going to have a child tax credit Awareness Day, and I'm here to ask you all, As leaders, to be a part of that lifting that awareness about what has been designed to help folks to make sure they. So we're going to join with community organizations, faith based groups and local elected officials to get the word out about how folks can receive a credit, and we'd love for you all to join us for that.
Second,
the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, stiffer. So this credit is for families to send their children to child care programs. And this credit allows families to get back as much as half of their spending on childcare for children under the age of 30.
So as an example, if you spent $8,000 this year on childcare, you could get $4,000 off your tax bill. And we have a new guidance that will help families take full advantage of this credit. And I just want to stress one thing let's get the word out, let's remind folks to get what you learn to keep in your childcare receipts, is really important. So let's remind folks of that, and you can visit irs.gov For more information to come
to the website here.
irs.gov.
The third update relates to making childcare, more affordable and accessible. So the last piece that I just mentioned, of course will help the path, but through the American rescue plan, we sent out around $39 billion to states to tribal nations and territories, and today we are instructing them
on how to distribute the last
$15 billion in the most effective and efficient
way, so that these funds
will
actually benefit the children that were intended
to benefit.
So all of this to say, we
are making progress. And still,
there's more work to be done.
While the American rescue command has been critical in providing relief. We know more work needs to be done to
reimagine these systems and
structures to build
a future that is worthy of every child's
aspiration and ambition.
And that is why the President
put forward the American families. So the American families
would ensure no low or middle income family
pays more than 7% of their
income on high quality care for young children.
Because again,
you know on this issue and I don't have to tell her and I don't have to tell folks here, it's about accessible and affordable. And we need folks, not wanting to do both. Throughout the country there are places that we refer to as childcare deserts where there's literally no childcare available within a traveling distance for that fear and especially if they are working in the childcare is many, many funnels have in this direction and they gotta go to work in that direction. So is it meaningful in terms of childcare available, accessible. The other
pieces of work
in so many places in our country childcare
costs more than college tuition.
What parents then have to make a decision.
Either I work, because I want to work because I enjoy
my job.
Or, I stay home and not work because if I go to work, I'm spending more time here, then
the system is not working so well.
So this is the point here,
affordability and accessibility. And I believe this is some
of the most important we're,
you know we say we care about families. Well then, let's get in there, on the details of what helps and makes families actually work and function as a family.
And you know, since we took office, there are founders who
have had to take unpaid leave to care for their children
have met mothers who have had to bring their children to work with them,
including women, we're running small businesses who have to
figure out where the kids are seated in the storage
area,
let them do their homework
while they're reading responses. I've met volunteers who are feeding families with children at drive thru and childcare providers who are caring for children are struggling to keep their childcare center open. So our children must be at the center of our priorities and our public policies, Is the smartphone. At this
point, thing.
And so that is the word,
without collective help.
I truly believe Americans chili will be anything they want, not you will face this life that young Luna said to me, they could be everything.