LibGuides: Social Work Resources: American Social Policy

Poverty

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National School Lunch Act
From Poverty and the Government in America: A Historical Encyclopedia
The National School Lunch Act was passed in 1946 to ensure that poor children had some nutritious food. The law provides federal and state money to schools so they can buy food and feed schoolchildren. MORE
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
From Poverty and the Government in America: A Historical Encyclopedia
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) was the product of years of effort on the part of Republicans and Democrats to address problems in the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, which provided cash benefits to poor families. MORE
Food Stamp Program / Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
From Poverty and the Government in America: A Historical Encyclopedia
The food stamp program is a federal program to help low-income people buy food. While the modern food stamp program started in 1964, the program's origins date back to the New Deal of the 1930s. During 2006, 26 million people participated . . . MORE
Medicaid
From Encyclopedia of Women's Health
Medicaid was established in 1965 through the Title XIX of the Social Security Act. This federal–state program was developed to finance health care for low-income persons, specifically the categorically needy and the medically needy. MORE
Supplemental Security Income
From Poverty and the Government in America: A Historical Encyclopedia
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal aid program created in 1972, for poor people who are elderly, or who are blind or have other disabilities. This replaced state-run programs for the disabled. The federal government provides a guaranteed minimum income that the states can then supplement as they wish. MORE

Education

No Child Left Behind Act (2001)
From Encyclopedia of Special Education: A Reference for the Education of the Handicapped and Other Exceptional Children and Adults
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB; PL 107–110) was signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002. The law was designed to implement many of the education reforms proposed during the president’s first presidential campaign, though whether the changes made by the statute constitute actual improvements remains the subject of much heated debate. MORE
Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA), PL 108-446
From Encyclopedia of Special Education: A Reference for the Education of the Handicapped and Other Exceptional Children and Adults
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), formerly known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (EHA; PL 94–142), and most recently amended in 2004 by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA; PL 108–446), represents a 30-year national commitment, beginning with EHA, to children with disabilities . . . MORE
Individualized Educational Plan
From Encyclopedia of Special Education: A Reference for the Education of the Handicapped and Other Exceptional Children and Adults
IEP is the acronym for the individualized educational plan that must now be written for each identified child with a disability prior to his or her placement in a special education program. MORE
School vouchers: Topic Page
Government grants aimed at improving education for the children of low-income families by providing school tuition that can be used at public or private schools. MORE

Subject Guide

Ashley Arbaugh