Vice President Kamala Harris visits a summer classroom at Brookline Memorial Recreation Center Monday in Pittsburgh. The White House will start monthly payouts in July to families with children 17 and under as part of a new child tax credit program.

WASHINGTON — The White House sought Monday to raise awareness of the federal government's new expanded child tax credit, which will start paying out monthly in July to families with children who are 17 years old and younger.

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at a recreation center in Pittsburgh as part of a broader push to promote the program in partnership with churches, schools and other organizations.

“When more families know about how they can get the relief, that is how we will be able to lift our children out of poverty,” Harris said.

The administration has launched the website https://childtaxcredit.gov with details for potential recipients. As part of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, eligible families can receive as much as $3,600 for each child under the age of 6. The tax credit will be $3,000 annually per child between the ages of 6 and 17.

The payments are to be made monthly, a first for the program. People can register for the program even if they did not fully file their taxes.

The program is slated to expire after one year, though Biden has proposed extending it through 2025 with the ultimate goal of making it permanent.