Morning Brief: Child Tax Payments, A Sewage Spill, And Dance At Dusk

Good morning, L.A. It’s July 13.

If your household income is $150,000 or less and you have kids ages 17 and under, keep an eye on the mailbox; you likely qualify for California’s new child tax payments.

Our colleagues at CalMatters report that families who meet the requirements for the payments, which are part of the federal government’s Child Tax Credit program, can expect between $2,000 and $3,000 a year per child up to age 17, and up to $3,600 for kids under 6.

The remittances will be issued in two payment periods: one beginning on July 15 and running through the end of 2021; and a second beginning after tax season in 2022. Between now and December, families who qualify will receive monthly deposits or checks. Next year, they will receive a lump sum representing the remaining half of the money they are owed.

Families that filed taxes in 2019 or 2020 will automatically be enrolled, so no need to do anything if you fall into that category. Folks who didn’t file taxes in those years but signed up for Economic Impact Payments will also be automatically enrolled.

Children of undocumented parents can qualify if they have a Social Security number issued before May 17, 2021, and their parents or guardians have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.

Some experts and activists say the payments will lift a significant number of California children out of poverty. For that reason, many are pushing to make the program permanent.

“We want the government to really understand and help and lift up our families that are struggling to meet basic needs ... so it’s not a constant repetition of [the] cycle of poverty,” said Emilia Reyes, the CEO of Fresno’s Economic Opportunities Commission.

Read more about the program here, and take a quiz to see if you qualify here.

Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A., and stay safe out there.

What Else You Need To Know Today

• Slightly cooler temperatures are on the way for the interior areas of Southern California.
• A one-mile stretch of water is off-limits to swimmers from El Segundo all the way north to the Dockweiler RV Park due to a massive, overnight raw sewage spill.
• LAX Police Chief Cecil Rhambo announced he will challenge Sheriff Alex Villanueva in the 2022 election.
• The cost to California taxpayers for the coronavirus pandemic tops $12 billion.
• The state legislature is considering a bill that would require more transparency from skilled nursing facilities in their corporate structure and finances.
• Rich Harbour, who started one of the most legendary surf shops in Southern California more than 60 years ago, died Sunday at age 77.
• Looking for a place to cool off? Check out one of L.A.’s public swimming pools.

Before You Go ... This Week's Outdoor Pick: Dance At Dusk

Alonzo King LINES Ballet returns to the Music Center this week.

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RJ Muna

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The Dance at Dusk series features nightly, outdoor performances at downtown’s Music Center, including the West Coast premieres of Child of Sky and Earth and Swift Arrow. The performances were choreographed by Alonzo King for New York City Ballet’s Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia.

Or, you could: Catch comedy shows under the stars. Take a soundwalk through a park. View a Judy Baca retrospective. Celebrate a classic Carole King album. Screen a crazy German film at the Secret Movie Club. And more.