There are several tax credits available to families with dependent children. These credits are intended to reduce tax liability for families who have expenses for caring for dependent children. 

The child and dependent care credit is available to families who pay childcare expenses. The expenses must have been incurred so that you and your spouse can work or look for work. The credit is based on a percentage of the expenses you pay. 

The child tax credit is available to families that have a qualifying child under the age 17. The credit is non-refundable, which means you must have tax liability to claim the credit. 

The additional child tax credit is available to families who have a qualifying child under the age 17 and who did not receive the full amount of the child tax credit because they did not have any tax liability. This credit is refundable, which means you do not have to have any tax liability to claim the credit. 

Education tax credits are available to individuals and families who have out-of-pocket post-secondary tuition expenses. The Hope credit is available to students completing their first two years of post-secondary school. The lifetime learning credit is available to students in any phase of post-secondary education.

The adoption tax credit is available to families who have out-of-pocket adoption expenses. You can use the credit to exclude any employer-provided adoption benefits from your income or to offset adoption expenses you have paid.