Nebraska parents like Mya Mason and Mahdi Hassan were hoping for help from the Child Care Refundable Tax Credit.
“It is not easy to care for a child by myself. So any extra money I can get is needed and beneficial,” Mason explained.
Last year, a law was passed that set aside $15 million for the program, which is first come, first served. Eligible families with children under the age of six can apply for up to $2,000 per child, based on their previous year’s household income. The child must also attend a DHHS-approved child care program.
“None of the other parents or my friends know about it. By the time I learnt about it, there was nothing left,” Mason told First Alert 6.
According to a message posted on the state Department of Revenue’s website, the money ran out on February 7th. Some tax preparers also claimed to have been left in the dark.
“Tax preparers do not always know everything, and their clients are also expected to know everything. But if they don’t know everything, they won’t be able to collect everything they’re owed, according to Melissa Zacher of Money Matters Financial.
First Alert 6 contacted Nebraska Senator Eliot Bostar, who introduced the legislation that resulted in this law. He issued the following statement.
