"Though it is the largest federal investment in children that we make, it still leaves behind one-third of all children who are in families who earn too little to get the full credit," DelBene said.
"For families, monthly payments make a big difference because they have money when they need it," DelBene said.the American Family Act aimed at overhauling the child tax credit alongside Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and Sens. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images | Hearst Newspapers | Getty Images
It remains to be seen whether the Utah Republican's plan will help pave the way for a bipartisan deal. That would make the full credit available to 27 million children whose families don't currently earn enough to receive it, according to the center.