Public Sector Programs and History

Education

Educational programs such as Head Start, Pell Grants and Title I provide a range of educational services, from early childhood education to grants for college education, for low-income children and young adults.

Head Start

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Pell Grants

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Title I Funding

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Health Care

Health care programs such as Medicaid and Medicare provide health care services for low-income residents. Legislation such as the Affordable Care Act has also increased health care access for low-income Americans.

Medicaid

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Medicare

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Affordable Care Act

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Tax Credits

Tax credit programs such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) provides many low-income families with refundable tax relief.

CTC

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EITC

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AOTC

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Housing

Programs such as Housing vouchers, public housing, homelessness prevention programs and Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provide housing and housing related assistance to low-income households.

Housing Vouchers/ Public Housing

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Homelessness Prevention Programs

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LIHEAP

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Nutrition Assistance

Programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and nutrition assistance for Women, Infants and children (WIC) provide funding for items such as food to low-income individuals and families.

SNAP

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WIC

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Cash Assistance

Programs such as Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) provides cash assistance and other services to low-income individuals and families throughout the country.

Social Security

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SSI

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TANF

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Child Care

Programs such as Head Start and state child care subsidies programs provide funding for low-income families to help them access child care services for their children.

Head Start

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State Child Care Programs

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Timeline

Place current efforts in historical context by exploring a timeline of public sector programs including major legislation and court decisions from English Poor Relief in 1531 to The Cares Act of 2020.

Public Sector History Timeline