“I'm Doing My Part, Why Aren't You Doing Yours?”: A Qualitative Exploration of the Expanded Child Tax Credit Among Mothers with Young Children

Abstract Context: In March 2021, Congress expanded the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and subsequently allowed those expansions to expire at year-end. This study explored mothers' understanding and perceptions of the expanded CTC and family well-being and economic hardship. Methods: Twenty US-born and immigrant mothers of young children surveyed pre-pandemic in Boston, Minneapolis, and Little Rock participated in follow-up focus groups, in-depth or dyadic interviews (09/2021-05/2022). Mothers shared pandemic-related experiences about economic hardships, family health, and their understanding and perceptions of the CTC. Discussions were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically with inductive and deductive approaches. Findings: Six themes resulted: 1) Unclear public communication about the CTC drove misunderstanding and misinformation; 2) Benefit delivery structures created barriers to access; 3) Monthly payments allowed parents to attend to their families' unique needs; 4) Cash facilitated choices that supported parent mental health and self-perception; 5) CTC expiration felt like a broken social contract, and 6) Experiences of racism shaped self-perception and life context. Conclusions: Insufficient outreach and challenges navigating unfamiliar tax systems created access barriers. Advance payments reshaped mothers' self-perception as parents. CTC expiration contributed to a sense of broken trust in government. Permanently expanding the CTC would support family well-being and trust in government.