Public Programs for Children and Families

Many public programs provide services to families to enhance the development of children at risk of poor cognitive, socioemotional, and health outcomes. Some of these programs primarily offer economic support, in the form of cash or goods, to ameliorate the effects of poverty and economic strain on children. Others aim to enhance family functioning by improving the quality of relationships within the family through direct intervention with parents. Others provide care and education directly to children through public health services and publicly funded early child education (ECE) programs. This entry provides an overview of each type of publicly funded program and summarizes the known effects of each program type on child and family well-being.