That was probably just for 2021. You would have to file a 2021 tax return.
The child tax credit rules for 2021 tax returns were unique to tax year 2021; you could receive the CTC even if you did not have any income earned from working.
That will not be the case for tax year 2022 and going forward. The rules revert back to the requirement to have income earned from working in order to receive the refundable part of the CTC. If you do not have at least $2500 of income from working you will not get the CTC or the additional child tax credit. And the age cutoff went back to under 17 (not 18).
