I was overjoyed to read about a significant victory for Maine families: the expansion of the benefits of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. With the approval of L.D. 1877, designed by community members who make up the ASPIRE Leadership Team in collaboration with Maine Equal Justice, TANF recipients will see their benefits increase by 20%. This is a huge step forward, especially since the last TANF increase occurred in 2017.

Programs like TANF are essential for families who should be able to rely on their state for support in challenging times and could mean the difference in gas or groceries for the month. This is especially vital to reduce the number of children in Maine living in poverty. It’s heartening to know that this change was led by Mainers, who have seen the value of TANF firsthand, and approved by representatives who care about their constituents.

At the same time, it’s disappointing to know that leaders meant to represent many of the same families failed them earlier this year. If it’s clear that TANF needed to be updated in Maine. It should also be obvious that the Child Tax Credit should also be expanded for the 200,000 children eligible in Maine and the millions nationwide.

Yet the Child Tax Credit expansion failed in August, with Sen. Susan Collins among those who voted against it. While advocates in Maine should celebrate the win of L.D. 1877, I hope to see similar energy changing the outcome for families across the United States with a similar expansion of the Child Tax Credit in the coming years.

Natalie Jones

Stockton Springs