Child Tax Credit 2021: Here's when the sixth check will deposit

The sixth — and potentially final — payment from the Child Tax Credit program is set to hit U.S. parents' bank accounts on Wednesday. Unless lawmakers renew the benefit, parents of 61 million children won't receive additional monthly checks in 2022. 

The sixth payment will be deposited directly into the bank accounts of millions of parents on December 15, although some families may receive the check through the mail, which could add several days to the delivery time. 

The enhanced Child Tax Credit, which was expanded through President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan, is credited with lifting millions of children out of poverty through the monthly cash payments, which anti-poverty advocates say have helped families afford basics like food, rent and educational expenses. But the future of the benefit remains in limbo as Congress debates the Build Back Better Act, which would include a one-year extension of the monthly payments.