There is no $1500 "back for the dependant". There's a $500 dependent credit or a $2000 child tax credit, but both of those are conditional. It is more accurate to call it an UP TO $2000 credit.
The money
you hear about people getting for just filing a tax return claiming kids requires
you to have some earned income (wages or
self employment). Without earned income, you are not eligible for the "refundable"
Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit.
There is no fixed
amount per child. Your refundable credits are calculated based on the amount of
your earned income. It consists of two parts: The Earned income Credit (EIC) is
looked up in this table https://apps.irs.gov/app/vita/content/globalmedia/earned_income_credit_table_1040i.pdf.
The "Additional" Child Tax Credit is calculated on form 8812, but is basically
15% of your earned income over $2500, up to $1400. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040s8.pdf
