Pa. has a chance to help working families. We should take it.

What would your family do with an extra $500? That’s the average amount an eligible Pennsylvanian would receive if a state-level earned income tax credit is enacted.

In the U.S., the federal earned income tax credit offers an income tax break for low-wage workers. The anti-poverty program began in 1975 and has expanded several times over the years. Even though the tax break is offered to workers regardless of whether or not they have children, many low-wage workers have families, and the program has lifted more children out of poverty each year than any other tax credit program. It’s so effective that the majority of U.S. states have implemented their own state earned income tax credit programs, too.

But Pennsylvania has yet to implement an income tax credit program, which means we’re missing an opportunity to reduce poverty across the state.

In Pennsylvania, one out of every six children grows up in poverty. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the expansion of another program — the federal child tax credit, which gave a tax break to working parents, specifically — provided a monthly cash infusion that helped cut U.S. child poverty nearly in half. Unfortunately, that policy wasn’t renewed, and child poverty spiked again.

» READ MORE: Many poor families were better off during the pandemic. It shouldn’t be that way. | Opinion

As pediatricians, we see the impact poverty has on the health and well-being of our patients and their families every day. We think of a recent 10-year-old patient who, despite having two parents working full time, often does not have access to enough food. Going hungry not only impacts their growth, it also affects their mood and success in school.

But beyond our experiences in the clinic, there is a wealth of research to show that poverty is detrimental to children. Research has linked poverty to several negative health impacts, including lower birth weight, increased risk of chronic illness in children, and even higher rates of infant death.

Thankfully, after years of advocacy, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a tax code bill this month that includes a state earned income tax credit equal to 25% of what the federal version offers. With one hurdle cleared, the bill now goes to the Senate. If enacted, it could make a real difference for Pennsylvania’s children.

The benefits are clear. Addressing poverty through tax credits has been shown to improve health in children. The federal earned income tax credit has been linked to improvements in children’s health and development. Other research shows a refundable state tax credit program can reduce the number of infants born at low birth weight, which itself can put babies at risk for death and poor health. And the more generous the tax credit is, the more effect it appears to have on infant health.

The benefits are clear.

Additionally, a state earned income tax credit has important benefits beyond those for children, as adults receiving a more generous tax credit are less likely to report frequent poor physical or mental health. State tax credits can also benefit the local economy when tax credit dollars are spent on local businesses. When that money flows back into the state and local governments in the form of income, sales, and payroll taxes, it can be reinvested in the community.

While some raise concerns about the cost of creating a state earned income tax credit program, a recent cost-benefit analysis commissioned by the United Way suggests that a Pennsylvania program would yield a significant return on investment. If policymakers enacted a state program equal to 25% of the federal tax credit program, every $1 spent would generate more than $3 through increased economic activity, greater tax revenue, and reduced spending on public assistance and human services programs. A state earned income tax credit program would reach over 870,000 Pennsylvania households, and pay for itself in the long run.

Pennsylvania should join the majority of states and implement this commonsense policy, which already has supporters from both sides of the aisle.

This bill isn’t the only solution to poverty — it’s part of what needs to be a broader concerted effort that considers other tools, like the child tax credit. We also need to ensure that eligible people can actually access these credits.

But we shouldn’t let perfect be the enemy of good. We can and should act now, while the tax code bill continues to be negotiated. You can use your voice to urge your legislators to support a state earned income tax credit program to invest in the future of our most vulnerable children.

If scientists discovered a drug that helped babies be born healthy, it would be considered a breakthrough. Our policymakers have access to a breakthrough treatment for our state’s kids — the earned income tax credit. We just have to encourage them to prescribe it.

Zoe Bouchelle is a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Stacey Kallem is a pediatrician and director of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Division of Maternal, Child, and Family Health. George Dalembert is a pediatrician and the associate director of CHOP’s Center for Health Equity. They are all affiliated with PolicyLab at CHOP.