Joys of Childhood in Indiana

 I keep wondering why we let the Republicans run this state. Then I read something like Child tax credit is one way to aid Hoosier families from Indiana Capitla Chronicle, and I am even more baffled.

Even amidst our shared vision of prosperity for our children, many Indiana families lack opportunity for their children. Indiana has consistently underperformed relative to Midwest neighboring states when comparing child poverty rates, and currently 16 percent of Hoosier children live in poverty. Even more startling, one in five Hoosier children lacks adequate nutrition and experiences hunger. That’s a total of 285,070 children– more than the entire population of Fort Wayne.

But we were one of the first states to pass a stiff anti-abortion law, so that should count for something towards improving the quality of life for Indiana's children, right? 

...Indiana currently provides parents an income tax exemption for each of their children, but the maximum state income tax relief being provided to an Indiana family with a newborn is $122 – and this drops to a maximum of $76.25 for each older child. When compared with the annual cost of diapers at about $1,000 per child, not to mention childcare costs that range between $7,000 and $25,000 per child, this small tax exemption is clearly not sufficient to offset the financial burdens parents are facing. We owe it to Hoosiers to provide more robust tax relief for families with children, especially young children in their most vulnerable years of life.

Don't you think the General Assembly has at the top of its agenda paying off this debt? The article even offers an idea:

Implementing a Child Tax Credit (CTC) at the state level in Indiana is one key way we can alleviate these financial strains unique to raising children. Parents may already be aware of the federal CTC, which offers taxpayers up to $2,000 in tax credits per child. Studies have indicated that the federal Child Tax Credit is associated with decreases in childrens’ food insecurity, increases in mental health outcomes for households with children, and lower poverty rates overall. At the state level, sixteen states from Utah to Maine have already enacted their own state-level CTC policies. While the specifics of the credit type, amount, and eligibility criteria vary state to state, those that have adopted their own CTCs have seen significant reductions in child poverty. Just as we build our homes on a strong, stable foundation, we can use tools like a Child Tax Credit to bolster Hoosier families’ economic security and well-being.

I guess property tax reform is too all-consuming a crisis.

sch 1/27