Families Can Receive Bigger State Benefits for Child Care Costs in 2021

It can be difficult for many families to access the high-quality affordable child care they need, especially as many families struggle to recover from the recession and make ends meet. Part of this difficulty is the high cost of child care expenses. For some low-income families, child care costs represent  35% of their income. 

Fortunately, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) expanded the federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit for one year to help families cover out-of-pocket child care costs from 2021. This tax season, families with two or more children can receive up to $8,000 dollars back in their refunds for the child care expenses they claimed in 2021. (Learn more about the expanded federal credit here.) Additionally, most states have some type of child and dependent care (CADC) tax provision, and some of these credits are linked to the federal credit.

Thanks to the expansions to the federal credit, some state CADC tax provisions may also provide bigger credits for families this year. Below is a chart of the possible increases in 16 states. Bolded provisions indicate families can receive the credit as a refund.

For other changes to state CADC tax provisions this year, please see this fact sheet.

State Tax Provision	Maximum Value for TY 2020	Maximum Value for TY 2021*
Colorado Child Care Expense Tax Credit	$1,050	$4,000
Delaware Child Care Credit	$1,050	$4,000
District of Columbia Credit for Child and Dependent Care Expenses	$672	$2,560
Georgia Child and Dependent Care Expense Credit	$630	$2,400
Iowa Child and Dependent Care Credit	$1,575	$3,000
Kansas Credit for Child and Dependent Care	$525	$2,000
Louisiana Child Care Credit	$1,050	$4,000
Louisiana Child Care Expense Credit	$2,100	$8,000
Maine Child Care Credit	$1,050	$4,000
Maryland Credit for Child and Dependent Care Expenses	$672	$2,560
Nebraska Credit for Child and Dependent Care Expenses	$2,100	$8,000
New Jersey Child and Dependent Care Credit	$1,000	$4,000
Ohio Child Care and Dependent Care Credit	$2,100	$8,000
Oklahoma Child Care Tax Credit	$420	$1,600
Rhode Island Credit for Child and Dependent Care Expenses	$525	$2,000
Vermont Credit for Child and Dependent Care Expenses	$504	$1,920
Vermont Low-Income Child and Dependent Care Credit	$1,050	$4,000
Virginia Deduction of Child and Dependent Care Expenses	$345	$920

Tax benefits like state CADC provisions can help reduce families’ tax bills—or boost their incomes—at a time when many families are trying to rebuild their economic security. With the 2021 ARPA expansions, families should be especially sure to claim all the tax benefits available at the federal and state level.