This commentary is by state Reps. Jana Brown, D-Richmond, and Mike Mrowicki, D-Putney.
Now is the time to offer family-friendly tax relief in Vermont as we look to keep and attract young families here — especially those with children. H.510, the Child Tax Credit bill that passed the House last month, would provide meaningful tax benefits for families with young children — flexible dollars they can use for childcare, groceries, or other household bills.
State Reps. Jana Brown and Mike Mrowicki share that position, but from different perspectives.
Mrowicki: As a member of the “grayest” generation, and as a father and grandfather, I remember how hard it was getting started with a family. Raising children is even more complicated and costly now. Young families can use any extra help we can provide.
It makes sense to focus Vermont’s available tax relief where it can do the most good — families with children. The bill also helps middle-income seniors, who will be able to increase their deduction for Social Security income.
Brown: I grew up in Vermont and feel very lucky to be raising my young child here. We want Vermont to be a place where families are supported and thriving across all 14 counties. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture published an annual report that calculated the average cost of raising a child to adulthood — not including higher education expenses — to be almost $234,000. When adjusted for inflation, that number jumps to $267,000 in 2021 dollars.
As we tackle issues that impact families — like affordable housing, food insecurity, and access to child care — providing relief in the form of a child tax credit is a significant step toward a family-friendly economic policy.
Mrowicki: I don’t forget for a moment that the younger people of today will be taking care of my generation tomorrow. As older Vermonters “age in place,” we need to keep young families here, to take on the jobs we’re retiring from — in fields like health care and social services and also in the trades.
This kind of investment shows our values. We’re putting money on the table and showing that when we say we want to support families with children, we mean it.
Brown: We frequently talk about our demographic challenges here in Vermont. Our goal is to keep young families in Vermont and attract more families to our state.
But families need to be able to make it work financially. Investing in the well-being of our youngest Vermonters during the critical early childhood years is the right thing to do. It will help to promote their future success in terms of educational achievement, health and wellness, and economic stability.
We want to give every child a healthy start and to set children up for success in school and future careers. As Vermont faces workforce challenges with critical occupations across the state, we can support families now — while investing in the next generation of Vermont nurses, social workers, mental health clinicians, teachers, early childhood educators, and more.
H.510 proves that, here in Vermont, we support young families and are serious about making our state a place where they can thrive. And by increasing the Social Security deduction for middle-income Vermonters, it’s a win-win. Rep. Mike Mrowicki serves on the House Government Operations Committee. Rep. Jana Brown serves on House Education. Statistics in this commentary are based on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as reported in U.S. News and World Report.
