The past century has seen vast improvements in our children's health. The infectious diseases that once killed huge numbers of children have largely been conquered. Infant mortality has also fallen markedly, although the United States lags behind other industrialized nations in this and other measures of children's health. Accidents and injuries…

Summarizes local, state, and federal sources of school funding and discusses the mechanisms used to distribute state aid and the criteria for assessing a school finance system. Overall, the federal government contributes about 7% of a school budget, with the remainder typically split fairly evenly between state and local governments. (SLD)

This article traces the history of Federal funding for child care and early educational programs in the United States, and examines how the values of American society have shaped governmental financial support for child care. The current child care financing system is merely a collection of funding streams. (SLD)

The primary share of child care costs in the United States is paid by parents, followed by funding from the Federal government and matching state expenditures. Fragmentation in service delivery and inequities in allotment of subsidies should be countered through integrated policies and through the linking of child care and early education goals.…

In 1991, the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect recommended the federal government begin phasing in a national, universal home visiting program for children during the neonatal period to help prevent child abuse and neglect. This article discusses the political and social factors affecting this recommendation, as well as the response…

Examines the relationship between government programs and individuals within the family context, describing past and present efforts of the federal government toward integrated services. Emphasis is on initiatives of the Department of Health and Human Services. Current shifts in primary responsibility are translated into increasing state and local…