Answer

Elimination of Child Poverty

            Bryne’s (2021) article focus on the impact that a stimulus package can help alleviate child poverty. According to Bryne (2021) child poverty is not only a long-term problem for the affected children and their families but the socioeconomic problem of child poverty tends to trickle down the to entire society as a whole. The idea of introduction of stimulus package for vulnerable families with young children in order to end child poverty in the U.S. may have been influenced by the check program received by Eastern Cherokee families in North Carolina. The Earned Income Tax Credit has been available only for families in which at least one parent has a job but in 2021 Child Tax Credit (CTC) has been introduced as a guaranteed payment for families with young children regardless of employment status. A similar program in Canada, referred to as the Canada Child Benefit program is attributed to have ended child poverty in Canada by 45% (Bryne, 2021).

            Ending child poverty may actually benefit the entire society. I do not agree to a segment of critics who argue that guaranteed payments for families with young children may promote laziness or seen as provision of free cash to lazy persons. Some of the benefits that communities and the society at large may benefit through ending of child poverty may include development of a relatively healthy population through provision of necessary resources and needs to support early childhood education. Besides, it has been shown that children who receive stimulus package tend to perform better in school; particular in academic terms. Good academic performance is a good outcome for individual children, their families, and the entire society since it better positions an individual to secure a job in the future and get reasonable income to help eliminate poverty in their families.

            Stimulus packages meant for ending child poverty can help vulnerable families to purchase sufficient and healthy foods to support require child nutrition, provide healthcare needs for their children, and buy other necessities to support healthy early childhood development. In this regard, I do advocate for making of CTC into a permanent program. At the moment, CTC was only to run for only one year. I guess that child poverty in the United States cannot be eliminate within a period of one year since it appears to be a significant problem in the society.

            What stands out in Bryne’s (2021) article is that it provides evidence that stimulus packages meant for ending child poverty has been successful in ending child poverty among the Eastern Cherokee families in North Carolina, other parts of the United States, and in Canada compared to control groups. In that case, I strongly believe that provisions of stimulus packages for vulnerable families in my community with young children may help reduce child poverty in my community to a significant extend. Besides, I foresee that in the long-term if CTC continues to run into the future, the United States will help build healthier populations and socio-economical emancipated families. In closing remarks, healthier kids and families will imply lower healthcare spending for the entire nation; therefore, attempts to end child poverty is a good thing.