Bold ideas for racial & economic justice

The Child Tax Credit (CTC) has been one of the most effective tools in reducing child poverty and supporting working families. The cash it provides to families improves economic stability and well-being for millions of children, helping ensure they have enough food, clothing, school supplies, and stable housing. This fact sheet highlights the critical role of the CTC in reducing poverty and outlines the five components of an effective CTC. By strengthening the CTC, we can build a future where every child has the resources they need to thrive.

For generations, Black leaders have played a pivotal role in advancing economic justice. Their work—often met with resistance—has laid the groundwork for many of the anti-poverty programs that millions rely on today. This blog highlights key Black anti-poverty leader who have fought to address systemic poverty through labor organizing, reproductive justice, and direct action.

In its first week, the Trump administration executed a chaotic and aggressive policy blitz, issuing more than 300 executive actions. These actions signal a stark shift in federal priorities—one that threatens to erode the economic security of millions of Americans. The message is loud and clear: The war against poverty is over, and Americans struggling to get by are on their own.

overturned nearly three years ago, ending the federal constitutional right to abortion. The consequences of lost access to this essential care have been devastating. States with abortion restrictions tend to have the stingiest public benefits supports for growing families. This map shows that 10 of the 12 states with the stingiest TANF cash benefits also have the harshest abortion restrictions.

Postsecondary education is more than just a pathway to a degree—for many parents, it is a dream for their children’s future. Yet the soaring costs of higher education have made this dream increasingly unattainable, forcing families to rely on risky borrowing options like the Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (Parent PLUS). Parent PLUS disproportionately saddles low-income parents and parents of color with immense, often unrepayable debt. Parents can face wage garnishment or risk losing a significant source of income—part of their Social Security benefits. This system can warp the promise of postsecondary education into an intergenerational burden. This brief proposes four recommendations to improve the Parent PLUS program and help ensure students and their parents are not driven into debt-burdened poverty to access higher education.