Any parent will tell you: kids always need something else. For D.C. resident Yehesuah Downie, that something else is a replacement cell phone for his 12-year-old son, a major expense  given Downie’s challenging financial situation during the pandemic.

But there’s relief coming as soon as Thursday: a monthly $250 payment from the federal government.

The payment is part of a significant expansion of the existing child tax credit that was included in the American Rescue Plan, the COVID-19 stimulus and recovery package proposed by President Joe Biden and approved by Congress in the spring. The tax credit was increased from $2,000 to $3,000 for those with kids ages 6 to 17, and to $3,600 for those with kids under the age of 6.

But more notable is the fact that half of the tax credit will be prepaid out to families on a monthly basis from this July through December — the checks will top out at $250 for parents with kids over 6, and $300 for those with kids under 6 — serving as something of a guaranteed family stipend (individuals making less than $75,000 and married couples making less than $150,000 get the full amount.)

“It’ll make a huge difference,” says Downie, 35, who works in fundraising but also runs a freelance photography and videography business. “It takes a lot of pressure off. You’re able to look around you a little more clear without the pressure on your shoulders about how to pay for basic needs.”

The Biden administration estimates that more than 65 million children could benefit; roughly 90% of all American families are in line for either full or partial payments.

Locally, more than 235,000 children from Arlington to Loudoun County are expected to benefit, as will more than 240,000 in Montgomery County and Frederick County, and 86,000 in D.C.

Advocates say the expanded tax credit could have an outsized impact for low-income families — the left-leaning Center for Budget and Policy Priorities reported earlier this year that the payments could cut childhood poverty nationwide by up to 40%.

“This is a huge deal, especially for working families in the District,” says Mat Hanson, chief of staff at D.C. Action for Kids. “And there is a really strong racial equity component to it, because we know that the majority of the families that are going to benefit from this are Black and brown, and particularly for Black families. About half of Black households with children reported having lost some employment income since the pandemic hit.”

The average benefit for families in D.C. will be $2,900, according to data from D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton. Families with children in poverty will receive $4,400 on average, and an estimated 10,200 children could be raised above the poverty line.

In Rep. Anthony Brown’s (D-Maryland) congressional district, which encompasses a large portion of Prince George’s County, approximately 139,000 kids will see the expanded benefit, and an estimated 8,200 would be lifted out of poverty.

“The amount of money that we’re talking about delivering to families is not anything that’s going to make somebody rich,” says Hanson. “It’s not going to put someone over the top, but it is going to reduce significant burdens. An extra $300 a month helps cover some more of the basics. It doesn’t cover everything, but it’s a boost that will help folks.”

But it’s a boost that other advocates say some families may still miss out on.

“That’s where we are seeing a significant challenge. Too many families, primarily low-income families of color, are unaware that the child tax credit exists or that they could start receiving the monthly payments as soon as July 15,” says Joseph Leitmann-Santa Cruz, CEO of the Capital Area Asset Builders, which works with low- and moderate-income families in the Washington region. “It doesn’t matter if somebody has filed taxes in the past or not. Doesn’t matter if somebody has earned income or not. This is something that people are 100% entitled to.”

Leitmann-Santa Cruz says that individuals or families who didn’t earn income or file taxes in recent years should submit their information to the IRS — even some undocumented parents will be eligible.

The expansion of the child tax credit — which Biden has said he’d like to see extended for another four years — comes as some local lawmakers are exploring similar cash outlays for low-income families. In D.C., Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie has proposed baby bonds, annual payments into a trust fund for children in poverty until their 18th birthday. He also proposed piloting a universal basic income program, monthly payments to select families in lieu of traditional government benefits.

For Downie, who says he supports a universal basic income, a more generous child tax credit is a place to start — though he concedes he could have used some of the money earlier this year when he was between jobs.

“Summer camp would have been nice. The child tax credit would have gone straight to that,” he says. “I’m just planning on spending it all on whatever [my son] needs at the moment.”