@az148
It sounds like you are confused by two different credits. The child and dependent care credit is a credit available to folks who must pay someone to take care of their dependent so that they can work.
The $500 credit for other dependents is a credit you can get if you have a qualified relative dependent who is over the age of 18 (or who does not have a Social Security number). It is NON-refundable. It can lower the amount of tax you owe, but it is not added to your refund. You do not "get" $500 per dependent.
https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/does-my-childdependent-qualify-for-the-child-tax-credit-or-the-credit-f...
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900643-what-is-the-child-and-dependent-care-credit
Edit---the credit for other dependent is not limited to a dependent older than 18. The age of the dependent can be younger. But the relevant factor is that the child is not a qualifying child dependent---only a "qualifying relative."
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
