For some of us, Jan. 15 was simply last Saturday. For those struggling to make ends meet during a health crisis, however, Jan. 15 marked the beginning of a return to poverty.

Since July 2021, families have relied on advance payments of the expanded Child Tax Credit — distributed on the 15th of each month — to feed, clothe and safely house their children. But no help came this past week because we let the expanded credit expire during an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and with prices rising on everything from groceries to utility bills.

Whether our elected officials summon the will to resurrect this life-sustaining support for families will demonstrate the extent of our commitment to ending child poverty in this nation for good.

An expanded Child Tax Credit was a centerpiece of the American Rescue Plan Act. The law increased the maximum amount from $2,000 to $3,000 for each child ages 6-17, and from $2,000 to $3,600 for each child under age 6. Perhaps even more significantly, the credit was made fully refundable — for the first time, those with no or very low wages could receive the full amount. And recipients no longer had to wait until tax filing season to receive a lump sum; up to half of the amount was distributed via monthly payments to help families cover immediate expenses.

These changes worked quickly. Weeks after the first advance payment was issued, those reporting challenges feeding their families dropped by 24 percent, driven by...

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