Summary of Focus Groups

The scope of the Child Tax Credit for Puerto Rican families has been a remarkable achievement, as the CTC has shown its capacity to aid in the reduction of child poverty. However, the statements and experiences of the families show that the initial process was confusing, costly, lengthy, and inefficient.

In the focus groups, community members highlighted the deficiencies in services provided by the IRS and the need for staff with sufficient cultural competency to solve their issues in a humanized, speedy, and knowledgeable fashion. Identity verification processes were a source of frustration for CTC applicants, a factor that resulted in disbursement delay.

The well-being of children was a core focus of the use of CTC funds. The credit alleviated the scarcity faced by many of the participating families, enabling them to invest in material goods, such as vehicles, home improvements, and bedroom furniture for the children, which served to further their physical and emotional well-being after living in precarious circumstances and an opportunity to opening pathways to economic mobility.