February 2, 2023
Columbus, OH – The National Association of Counties (NACo) has tapped Deputy Franklin County Administrator Joy Bivens to host a panel discussion on the Child Tax Credit later this month in Washington, DC. The panel will take place Saturday, Feb. 11 at 11 a.m. at the 2023 NACo Legislative Conference.
The conversation, which features national experts and federal officials, will center on the impact of temporary expansion of the Child Tax Credit in 2021 and the role of local government in connecting vulnerable residents with critical aid as tax season approaches. Deputy Administrator Bivens, who oversees Health and Human Services agencies for the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, serves in leadership for NACo’s Human Services and Education committee, which is facilitating the panel.
“The Child Tax Credit is one of the best tools our government has to uplift families out of poverty and boost our economy. We have data now from 2021 that backs that up, just as we have data that illustrates the long-term consequences – educational disparities, negative health outcomes, trauma – that children living in poverty experience,” Deputy Administrator Bivens said. “The core question we’re going to be asking in this panel, and what we’re asking of our federal partners, is ‘what kind of country do we want to be?’”
Deputy Administrator Bivens will serve as moderator for the hour-long discussion, while panelists include Cara Baldari, Vice President of Family Economics, Housing, and Homelessness, First Focus on Children; Rachel Snyderman, Senior Associate Director, Business and Economic Policy, Bipartisan Policy Center; and Amelia O’Rourke-Owens, Engagement and Policy Fellow, Office of Community Affairs, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the Child Tax Credit (CTC), along with the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), were expanded, lifting more than 2.9 million children out of poverty and bringing the child poverty rate in the U.S. down to 5.2% in 2021 – the lowest rate on record. Among the provisions for that temporary expansion to the CTC included increasing the credit, providing monthly payments and making it fully refundable so all families could benefit from it.
Although the temporarily expansion of the CTC and EITC under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 have expired, these refundable tax credits remain one of the most powerful tools available to combat child poverty.
Deputy Administrator Bivens co-sponsored a NACo resolution with the National Association of County Human Services Administrators and the California Welfare Directors Association urging the federal government to make the temporary increases permanent. The resolution was adopted as part NACo’s American County Platform last year.
In addition to her federal advocacy, Deputy County Administrator has been a champion for children and working families here in Franklin County and across Ohio – especially in the area of early learning.
While serving as Director of Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services, Bivens spearheaded Franklin County’s efforts to strengthen central Ohio’s child care system in advance of the state’s 2020 Step Up To Quality early learning mandate. She commissioned an in-depth analysis of the system landscape, identifying neighborhoods that faced the greatest risk; conducted a multimedia awareness campaign; and offered free, specialized training and technical assistance from FCDJFS. Thanks to these collective efforts, all but three of the county’s 700-plus publicly funded child care providers were certified by the state ahead of the September 2020 deadline.
The NACo Legislative Conference brings together nearly 2,000 elected and appointed county officials to focus on federal policy issues that impact counties and residents. To learn more about the impact of the Earned Income and Child Tax Credits and the upcoming panel discussion, visit naco.org.
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The Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services provides timely public assistance benefits and builds community partnership through inclusion, responsiveness and innovation. Learn more at https://jfs.franklincountyohio.gov and follow FCDJFS on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
ABOUT NACo
The National Association of Counties (NACo) strengthens America’s counties, including nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees. Founded in 1935, NACo unites county officials to advocate for county government priorities in federal policymaking; promote exemplary county policies and practices; nurture leadership skills and expand knowledge networks; optimize county and taxpayer resources and cost savings; and enrich the public’s understanding of county government. www.naco.org.