Welfare

Welfare generally refers to government support programs, and can be defined in several ways. It is normally considered the variety of public programs available to help those at lower income levels, including programs such as cash assistance, food stamps, childcare assistance, housing programs, and medical assistance (Medicaid). It is often conceived of more specifically as government cash assistance to the poor.

Public welfare programs in the United States have a history of fraught relationships with women. The first major programs coming about in the early 20th century were exclusive, limited only to white, widowed mothers, otherwise considered the “deserving” poor. Earlier programs were equally selective, but were individually run by states and local charities. Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) was formally established in 1935 in limited form, with states having the ability to decide who received benefits. Minority women as well as those who were divorced or never married were categorically denied benefits as a suspect and immoral class. Traditionally, aid was also denied if the father was living in the home, which tended to discourage marriage and cohabitation among poor couples.

The Civil Rights movement in the 1960s brought the hard-fought expansion of coverage to minority women. It was also during that period that other public aid programs began, such as the food stamp program (currently known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and health insurance for the poor and elderly (Medicare and Medicaid). However, these non-cash supports were tied to cash assistance, so if the cash ended because of outside employment, then the food stamps and medical care did as well. The result was increasing numbers of poor, unemployed single mothers receiving welfare.