Sometimes it can be hard to see the connection between a broad government policy and an

individual's personal experience.

The expanded child tax credit was different.

It gave more money to low-income families with children.

And for people like Angel Jackson, it made a huge difference.

She's a single mom in Houston with an eight-year-old son.

My son went to a charter school, so I bought a school shirt.

I got his hair cut, I was able to do small things in small increments.

After the expanded child tax credit took effect, child poverty hit a record low of 5.2% a year

ago.

In Batha Washington, Jennifer Boreskin and her 11-year-old son are on disability.

You were able to buy the things I needed, car repairs.

I needed to replenish our food, being able to have dry goods and things because during

that COVID and everything, grocery stores were running out of food quite quickly.

The money allowed her to catch her breath.

I could breathe for a moment and be able to be like, I don't have to sacrifice something

here to get something else, I could get everything I needed.

And then, less than a year after the expanded child tax credit took effect, Congress let

it expire.

You can guess what happened next.

According to new census data, child poverty has more than doubled.

It's now 12.4%.

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