Raising kids can be expensive, and the Child Tax Credit is here to help. President Biden’s American Rescue Plan increased the amount of the 2021 Child Tax Credit to support families with children. The full benefit of the Child Tax Credit is now $300 per month per child under age 6 and $250 for each child age 6 to 17.

If you filed your 2020 taxes this year or filed your 2019 taxes last year, or used the IRS “Non-Filer Portal” to get a stimulus check last year, you don’t need to do anything. The IRS will automatically send you a monthly payment by direct deposit or check starting on July 15, 2021.

If you didn’t file taxes in the last 2 years, you just need to fill out a simple form available at www.childtaxcredit.gov.