As a pediatrician working in a busy primary care clinic in New Haven, I routinely ask parents about what food their children eat for breakfast, how many words they know, if they feel down or sad and how often they need to use a certain medication. However, I never expected to be asking, “Are you planning to file taxes this year?” For the past six years I have been doing just that. 

The reality is that most families I connect with are stressed about affording basic necessities such as food, clothes and shelter. We have a list of referral services — food banks, mental health supports, housing resources and other social services — but I also talk to my patients about filing taxes. 

To address the social drivers of health, there has been a national movement to create medical-financial partnerships — MFPs — by locating financial capability services such as free tax preparation in medical clinics. Recognizing that tax credits are a powerful anti-poverty tool, in 2018 Dr. Leslie Sude and Alice Rosenthal Esq started a MFP with free tax preparation in our pediatric clinic. 

 I’ve seen how tax credits transform lives. When the expanded federal child tax credit briefly reduced child poverty in 2021, I saw families buying healthier food, paying off outstanding utility bills, paying for childcare and so much more. In 2022, Connecticut offered a one-time Child Tax Rebate; it is estimated that 80 percent of eligible families applied. Those resources are needed by families now, more than ever. 

That’s why I’m dismayed that Connecticut remains the only state in the nation that taxes personal income without adjusting for family size. The proposed refundable $600 per child state tax credit would provide crucial support both for families in poverty and those earning too much to qualify for other aid, yet too little to afford basic necessities every month.

Some will argue we cannot afford this benefit. But as a pediatrician, I know that investing in children’s health early prevents far more expensive crises down the road. The research is crystal clear: children in financially secure households are healthier, perform better in school and grow into more productive adults. Every dollar spent reducing child poverty today yields future savings, including lower healthcare costs, fewer demands on social services and increased earnings. A child tax credit is a prescription for immediate economic relief and long-term social health. 

Next month, Governor Lamont SOM ’80 and our legislators will begin negotiating the state’s next budget and Connecticut’s tax revenues are stronger than ever. We should join our neighbors in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and New York and finally prioritize families in our tax code.  

As a pediatrician, my commitment is to the health and well-being of my patients. A child tax credit is a proven strategy to improve the lives of children and families — and it’s time for Connecticut to take action.

MOLLY MARKOWITZ is a pediatrician who works for the Yale Department of Pediatrics and Fair Haven Community Health Care. She can be reached at molly.markowitz@yale.edu.