Child Credit Tax Effort Passes State House, Officials Say

The Phillies weren’t the only big winners this week. Working families also won this week with the inclusion of a child and dependent care tax credit program in the House tax code bill which was passed late last month, state officials announced

This provision would expand Pennsylvania’s Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit by increasing the percentage taxpayers can claim as well as increasing the allowable expenses, officials said.

Families are faced with steep childcare costs and difficult decisions. This bill would provide a much-needed tax break to families throughout the commonwealth. Our children deserve exceptional childcare, and parents should be able to provide it without worrying about breaking the bank, a press release says.

Sept. 30 was the end of pandemic-era federal aid to childcare providers. For many providers, stuck in the middle between pricing pressures and rising costs, this aid was the one thing keeping them open. Now, parents are facing a childcare cliff as nearly 3,000 Pennsylvania childcare programs are expected to close in the near future, impacting over 152,000 of the commonwealth’s children, according to a report by The Century Foundation.

This tax credit does not solve the childcare crisis in Pennsylvania, but it is one piece of the puzzle to move towards creating a better solution for working parents.

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.