For the first time ever, Sesame Street will feature a muppet experiencing homelessness to teach children about love and compassion towards those without homes. After falling into poverty, the character, 7-year-old Lily, and her family must move in with friends.
While Lily might just be a character, her circumstance is unfortunately all too common for children in the U.S.
Despite being an economic powerhouse, the United States still has a despicably high number of children living in poverty. Which is why Democratic Senators Michael Bennet and Sherrod Brown have come up with a legislative solution — straight up giving families (excluding the wealthiest families) around $300 per month per child to ensure their kids' needs are met.
The approach may seem unconventional, but it's actually something seen in plenty of developed nations like Canada, Australia and most of Europe, which have seen their own child poverty rates decrease since implementation.
Besides, we already have a child tax credit that gives families refunds of about $2,000 per child. The problem with that system, though, is that it requires families to have a certain income before it can get that refund. In other words, the poorest families who need that money the most don't actually benefit from child credits.
So let's update the rules.
We strongly urge the U.S. House and Senate to pass the Bennet-Brown bill to ensure that all American children have the funds to cover food, clothing and security. We can do better for our kids in need!
