JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For the first time in more than six months, millions of families across America did not receive a child tax credit payment.
Since July of 2021, parents that earned under $75,000 per person or $150,000 per couple were sent payments of roughly $300 per child by the government to help families financially.
Nearly 36 million American families received a child tax credit payment in December. While those payments have stopped, there's a specific organization in Mayport designed to help military families.
Mayport's Navy Marine Corps Relief Society provides educational and financial budget planning assistance to active duty service members, retirees as well as widows of service members.
"If military families are struggling they need to see NMRCS so we can help them meet those goals," Navy Marine Corps Relief Society Director Barbara Dulaney said. "We can't supplement their income, but we can help with immediate needs and get them back to living within the money that they have coming in every month."
This isn't a stipend, but should the situation call for it, the program can give up to $500 with no questions asked.
"What's great about our program is all assistance we provide them is in the form of interest free loans or outright grants," Dulaney said.
And everything is confidential.
"A lot of sailors are worried about that stigma that 'My command's going to find out about it,'" Dulaney said. "We can not go to command. We have a confidentiality policy to stick with."
Because at the end of the day, this program is designed to help.
"If there are families out there suffering, don't suffer in silence, that's what Navy Marine Corps Relief Society is here to do, it's to help them," Dulaney said.
Financial help when seemingly everything is getting more expensive.
If you would like to reach the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society office at Mayport the number is 904-270-5418 ext. 1504. More information can be found on their website: www.nmcrs.org