State Rep. Sean Scanlon Introduces Child Tax Credit Proposal

GUILFORD, CT — Saying the proposed child tax credit would provide tax relief to over one million Connecticut residents, Rep. Sean Scanlon (D-Guilford), House Chairman of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, unveil proposed legislation creating a state child tax credit Tuesday.

“The cost of raising a child in Connecticut is far too expensive for middle- and working-class families,” Scanlon was quoted as saying in a media release. “This legislation will provide serious tax relief to parents and will be a dramatic step towards making Connecticut a more affordable place to raise a family.”

The legislation would phase in a child tax credit of up to 30% of the federal child tax credit over four years for Connecticut tax filers making up to $681,861, Scanlon said. By year four, a middle class family in Connecticut making between $53,419 to $202,859 with three children would be able to reduce their state taxes by $1,800 per year, he said.

According to the statement from Scanlon, recent data shows that even before the economic downturn associated with COVID-19, Connecticut was one of the more expensive states to raise a child in the United States. Scanlon said that according to a 2019 study from the Economic Policy Institute, Connecticut ranked 5th out of 50 states and the District of Columbia for most expensive infant care. The average annual cost of infant care in Connecticut is $15,501, or a staggering $1,292 per month, he noted.

"For most Connecticut families, the cost of caring for children even outpaces other costly expenses such as college tuition or rent," the release reads. "According to the EPI study, child care costs 25 percent more annually than the cost of in-state tuition for four-year public college and 10 percent more than the average rent."

Scanlon noted that according to EPI, "Child care accounts for 18.3%, or $15,501 annually, of a median family’s income in Connecticut of $84,824. For a minimum wage worker in Connecticut, it accounts for a staggering 73.8% of their income."