ROCK ISLAND – Under a proposal supported by State Senator Mike Halpin, working parents in Illinois earning the median income or less could soon have the option to claim a state-level child tax credit on their state income taxes.

“With the cost of living and housing skyrocketing, it’s time for us here in Illinois to step up and provide relief for families,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “We need to work across the aisle to make sure that our children are taken care of all across the state.”

Senate Bill 3329 would create a state-level child tax credit for eligible low- and middle-income families. Families would receive a $300 tax credit for each qualifying child beginning in tax year 2025. The proposal would benefit joint filers earning less than $75,000 and single filers earning less than $50,000. If passed, Illinois would join more than 14 other states in enacting a state-level child tax credit.

With the cost of living rising across the country, children are often times the most affected.  According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, over seven million children in 2021 lived in a household where they weren’t eating enough because the household couldn’t afford it. In data collected in 2019, 1.1 million children lived in a household where they were sometimes or often not eating enough because the household couldn’t afford it.

“We need this child tax credit because it will help families put food on the table for their children,” said Halpin. “It’s the right thing to do to make sure that no child goes hungry.”

Senate Bill 3329 awaits discussion in the spring legislative session.