Figuring out the best way to use public programs to meet the needs of individual children, their families and their communities is, to put it mildly, a challenge. Although the same complexities are also often true at the state and local levels, this report is about federal programs.
In 1999, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) released the following report summarizing 140 major federal programs affecting children and families. The IEL Policy Exchange worked closely with the bipartisan group of senators - Republicans James Jeffords of Vermont and Dan Coats of Indiana, and Democrats Christopher Dodd of Connecticut and Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts - who requested this report. The senators asked CRS to use the Policy Exchange template - Asking the Right Questions About Programs for Children & Families - as a guide.
The CRS report that resulted from this analysis is as valuable as it is daunting. Federal P rograms for Children & Families is a wonderful tool for people who want to understand federal policies and use public resources wisely. Although federal laws are constantly changing, the report provides an important baseline of information in roughly parallel form - enabling comparisons and analysis by, for example, services provided, administering agency, populations served, and Congressional committees.
Federal policymakers can use Federal Programs for Children & Families to identify issues, approaches and strategies, as well as look across all systems (health, education, housing, social services, nutrition and income) that affect children and their families.
State and local policymakers can use this report to identify both gaps and untapped federal resources.
Program administrators and advocates can use it to identify opportunities and problems.
The IEL Policy Exchange is publishing this primer on federal programs affecting children and families because CRS reports are not readily available to the public. In fact, CRS staff members work exclusively for members of Congress and do not respond to requests from the general public.
What you see on the following pages is exactly what the more-than three dozen CRS staff experts who contributed to this report wrote. Our only additions are this Introduction, some cross-references, copies of the Senatorial letters of request, and a list of Credits to thank the many people involved.
We hope you find this document useful and welcome your comments.
Margaret Dunkle
Director, IEL Policy Exchange
2000
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Click here to get the full text of Federal Programs for Children & Families in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF).
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