Since the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) implemented by the American Rescue Plan expired in January, 3.7 million children have fallen back into poverty. The consequences will be far-reaching as childhood poverty is also a risk factor for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). ACEs are potentially traumatizing experiences in childhood including, but not limited to, events such as witnessing or experiencing violence, neglect and abuse.
Nearly two thirds of U.S. adults report experiencing at least one ACE, which increases an individual’s risk of more than forty health and life achievement outcomes later in life, including many of the national leading causes of death. ACEs have a graded, dosage effect on health as well, meaning, the more ACEs someone has experienced, the greater the impact on their health. The annual economic and social costs to society due to ACEs is estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars.
Research reveals that children in low-income households in particular have a higher prevalence of ACEs. For example, children in Utah households making less than $24,999 annually are more likely to have experienced four or more ACEs. For prevention, the CDC recommends increasing economic support for families, the primary function of the CTC. The Build Back Better Act, which will extend the CTC, has not passed in the Senate as at least half our country’s senators (including Utah’s) appear to care more about voting with their party rather than helping combat child poverty. I implore you to encourage our senators to vote in favor of extending the CTC. Lifting millions of children out of poverty in Utah and across the country will not only decrease their risk of ACEs and subsequent negative health outcomes, but help save us billions of dollars in health costs down the road.
Nya Harper, Logan