Hawaiʻi’s working moms deserve (child tax) credit

March is Women’s History Month, and a time to reflect on the contributions women have made to our society. While there is no shortage of prominent women to celebrate for their achievements, we should also honor the contributions of the millions of often unseen women who raise the next generation while also driving our economy forward—working moms.

Despite many more mothers entering the workforce and contributing to household financial stability over the last few decades, moms still tend to bear the brunt of child caretaking responsibilities. Even in households where both parents work, 54 percent report that mothers do more when it comes to managing children’s schedules and activities.

Meanwhile, the costs for achieving financial stability here in Hawaiʻi are only getting higher. We need only look at the cost of child care, which is a vital support for mothers to stay engaged in the workforce. The average monthly cost of center-based child care in Hawaiʻi is $1,576 per month, or roughly $19,000 annually. This represents a nearly 10 percent increase since 2019. For working moms with low incomes, these costs can put child care completely out of reach. Many are already struggling with high costs for housing, food, health care and transportation.

Fortunately, we have a highly effective tool at our disposal that the federal government and multiple states are leveraging to provide support for working moms: the child tax credit (CTC). During the pandemic, the federal government expanded this credit, increasing its amount to $3,600 for children up to age 5, and $3,000 for children aged 6-17, and delivering its benefits on a monthly basis, instead of all at once after tax filing. It is estimated that this expansion lifted nearly 3 million children out of poverty and reduced child poverty by nearly 40 percent.