Child tax credit is a nonrefundable credit meaning you must have a tax liability for it to offset in order to get it. If you have not tax liability on line 11, you have nothing for the credit to offset. You may be eligible for another refundable credit called the additional child tax credit if you had at least $2500 of earned income. That credit is on line 17b of form 1040. The additional child tax credit limit is $1400 per child and is 15% of your earned income that's more than $2500.
