LOS ANGELES — For more than 30 years, Gabriela Gomez has been helping families access critical benefits through the LA County Department of Public Social Services.

"People a lot of times don’t know what programs are out there for them that can help them," Gomez said.

What You Need To Know

  • The LA County Department of Public Social Services is encouraging families with little to no income to take advantage of the Expanded Child Tax Credit.

  • Families can receive up to $3,600 per child under 6 and $3,000 per child ages 6-17.

  • They can fill out forms online at getctc.org

  • It's estimated close to 372,000 children in California are at risk of missing out on benefits because their families did not file income taxes in 2019 or 2020.

Because of the pandemic, the child tax credit was significantly expanded in 2021 through the American Rescue Plan. Parents can now receive $3,600 per child under 6 and $3,000 for children ages 6-17. Previously, it was $2,000 per child, and many low-income families didn’t qualify.

“If you’ve got a family that’s got 3 kids ages 6-17, that’s $9,000. That is a life-changing lump sum amount for a lot of people,” Gomez said.

It’s money she said can pay for tuition, books, or becoming an entrepreneur.

“You can start a small business with $9,000 or $10,000 and that is something that can help you move beyond being on public assistance,” Gomez said.

According to the Tax Policy Center, close to 372,000 children in California are at risk of missing out on benefits because their families did not file income taxes in 2019 or 2020.

“We want to make sure that even if they don’t have any income to declare, that they complete the child tax credit forms, the IRS forms, so they can claim that tax credit,” Gomez said.

Those individuals can go to GetCTC.org and use a simplified tax filing tool to claim their benefits, including the third stimulus payment, but it’s only available until Nov. 15. According to the website, it only takes 15 minutes to complete.

“The federal government essentially is like, look, we’re coming out of COVID. There are people that have lost their jobs. There’s inflation, gas prices. Everything is just through the roof, so they want to make sure that families are able to afford the things that they need,” Gomez said.

She says the credit does not count as income, so residents that are receiving other public food or health services still qualify.

“I’ve never seen anything like this, where the federal government was giving money back in this amount to the American people,” Gomez said.

And she hopes to help as many LA County families as possible take advantage of the opportunity.

Let “Inside the Issues” know your thoughts and watch Monday through Friday at 8 and 11 p.m. on Spectrum News 1.