How Has the Government Contributed to Social Grants

Do you ever wonder about how has the government contributed to social grants? In the United, there are some social programs from the government to support the basic needs of the citizens. The federal and state governments provide some social grants as below:

Cash assistance
Health insurance
Food assistance
Housing subsidies
Education and childcare assistance
Energy and utility subsidies

There are some similar benefits available from the private sector. It can be from the policy mandates and voluntary basis. For example, you can apply for an employer-funded health insurance.

The social grant programs in America can be different, in the terms of eligibility. For example, public education and housing subsidies have different qualifications to apply. Also, the federal, state, local, and private organizations may have different policies toward grant applications.

One thing is for sure, the government social grants cover basic needs including food, education, shelter, and healthcare for U.S. citizens, subsidies for higher education, subsidies for low-income employees, and others. According to research, U.S. government programs are available. The concern is to improve the health and educational outcomes of low-income children.

In this post, we are going to talk more about how has the government contributed to social grants. To make everything is clear, we will separate the explanation into some sections below.

How Has the Government Contributed to Cash Assistance?

Cash assistance is one of the solutions for the government to stand with families experiencing poverty. The cash is an access for them to afford their needs and their stability.

In the USA, the government has Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) program. It works to help eligible family to pay for utilities, transportation, food, diapers, rent, and other basic needs.

Based on the official U.S. poverty rate data, it showed that from 2019 to 2020, the U.S. poverty rate rose because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the economic crisis.

However, today, the TANF benefits are not enough to support families. It is not enough to help them move out of the poverty in any state. Back in 2007, TANF helped about 260,000 children move out of the deep poverty, based on one analysis. The data showed that it is not much better than Aid to Families with Dependent Children, or AFDC, which helped for more than 2.9 million children out of the deep poverty back in 1995.

It is true that TANF is the primary cash assistance program. It can be a powerful program to support families with children but they have very low incomes.

The presence of TANF is very important to make sure that families can cover their basic needs. Research even showed that by providing cash assistance for families to move out of deep poverty can offer better health and good achievement for the children in their academic level.

With the help of TANF, families with little or no cash income can be more economically secure. It helps stabilize families during crises. When the government can provide enough unconditional cash assistance, it supports the dignity of parents for their children.

How Has the Government Contributed to Health Insurance?

How has the government contributed to social grants, especially in health system? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the government’s principal agency to protect the health of Americans. Also, it has an important role to provide human services.

HHS has a mission to improve the health and the well-being of citizens in America. Therefore, it provides effective health and human services. Here are some grant programs provided by HHS:

Administration for Children & Families

ACF promotes well-being of families, children, communities, or individuals especially in the economy and the social aspect. The goal of the ACF program is to empower individuals and families so they can improve their economic stability and productivity.

Besides, ACF wants to encourage strong communities. So, they have a positive impact on the quality of life and on the development of children.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality or AHRQ has a mission to produce evidence. The role is to make health care safer, more accessible, and affordable.

AHRQ also has a role to collaborate with HHS and other partners. The grants from AHRQ are available to support research to strengthen the quality, accessibility, effectiveness, and the cost-effectiveness of health care.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CDC has Procurement and Grant Office (PGO). They provide awards for more than 25,000 acquisition and assistance actions every year. Also, they provide $11 billion for federal funds. PGO exists to achieve the CDC’s mission by allocating funds to where the fund is needed.

National Institute of Health

The National Institute of Health or NIH offers financial support available in grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. This assistance helps to achieve the NIH’s mission to improve health, extend healthy life, and reduce the burdens of disability.

Many grants are available for research, activities related research including career development, fellowship, training, scientific resources, and construction.

How Has the Government Contributed to Food Assistance?

U.S. Department of Agriculture, known as USDA, offers leadership in agriculture, food, rural development, natural resources and nutrition. Also, it supports leadership in related issues regarding to public policy, efficient management and science.

The vision of USDA is to improve the economic opportunity based on innovation. Also, to help rural America and to promote agriculture production. Here are some grant program highlights from USDA:

Farm Service Agency Loans

FSA offers direct and granted farm ownership. It operates loans for family-size farmers as well as ranches who cannot get commercial credit via bank, or other lenders. FSA loans are available to buy land, equipment, livestock, feed, supplies, and seed. Eventually, you can use the loans to construct building or others to improve your farm.

Housing Assistance

USDA has housing assistance to provide homeownership opportunities, especially for the low- and the moderate-income rural Americans through some grants, loans, and loan guarantee programs.

The programs also provide funding available to individuals. The eligible individuals can use the fund to do vital improvements to make their homes safe.

USDA Multi-Family Housing Programs have Rural Rental Housing Loans. The purpose of this program is to provide multi-family rental housing at affordable cost for the very low, low, and moderate-income families, the senior, and the individuals with disabilities. Besides, rental assistance exists only for the eligible families.

Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

How has the government contributed to social grants, especially for beginning farmers and ranchers can be seen from the role of USDA. This part of the government has the Farm Service Agency that provides direct and granted loans if you are starting farmers and ranchers but cannot get financial help from the commercial credit sources. The Agency conducts grants for each fiscal year.

Crop and Livestock Insurance

The USDA supports producers to deal with business risks. The USDA also has Risk Management Agency (RMA) with the mission to support, promote, and rule sound risk management to improve the stability of the economy especially for the agricultural producers in America.

As the part of this mission, RMA runs and manages the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, known as FCIC. There are three divisions of RMA which are: Insurance Services, Product Management, and Risk Compliance.

Also, there are 17 private insurance companies sell and then service the policies. The RMA approves or develops the premium rate and administer the premium and expense subsidies. Even, the RMA approves and stands for the products and become the sponsor of education or outreach programs that talk about risk.

Federal State Marketing Improvement Program

It is also known as FSMIP, offers matching funds for the State Department of Agriculture and other relevant State agencies to help exploring new market for agricultural and food products. Also, it has an important role to encourage innovation including research that can improve the performance and the efficiency of marketing system.

Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

Known as SCBGP, that you can even request the fund to improve the specialty crops. Anything about fruits, vegetables, dried fruits, tree nuts, and nursery crops, including floriculture.

The Farmers Market Promotion Program

It is also known as the FMPP as a result of a latest amendment of the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act, back in 1976. FMP authorized the grant with the goal to strengthen and expand the domestic farmers markets, the community-supported agriculture programs, and roadside stands.

Organic Cost Share Program

There are two organic certification cost share programs administered by the AMS. Each program offers cost share assistance through involving states, organic handlers, and organic producers. Recipients must get certification from a USD accredited certifying agent, or ACA.

Housing Subsidies

How has the government contributed to social grants, especially housing assistance? The United States of America has the Department of Housing and Urban Development or HUD.

The mission of this department is to create sustainable and strong communities. Also, HUD has an important role to provide affordable yet quality homes for all citizens. Besides, HUD exists to enhance the housing market and to protect consumers. With the presence of HUD, it is expected to cover the need of quality and affordable homes for rent.

Here are some grant programs provided by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD):

Applachia Economic Development Initiative

AEDI is a collaborative way among the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, and the Department of Agriculture – Rural Development.

The goal of AEDI is to provide more access to capital, especially for business and economic development in the underserved Appalachia. Also, it can offer investment and technical help for the State community or economic development communities that can be the representative of the local rural non-profit organizations. However, these organizations must have a big concern on small business development that will give benefit to the residents of the region.

Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant

This program exists to strengthen the local strategies dealing with the distressed public based on a comprehensive approach to bring transformation. This program also involves local leaders, stakeholders, and residents (public housing authorities, schools, business owners, private developers, etc) working together to implement a plan that can transform distressed HUD housing. The program is available to improve the neighborhood assets such as services, housing, schools, and vacant property.

How Has the Government Contributed to Education and Childcare Assistance?

To answer the question about how the government contributed to social grants, you should also know the effort of the government in education and childcare assistance. There are many families struggling on paying for child care in the United States.

Eventually, the biggest part of a family’s expenses mostly is the cost of child care. It can be higher than other costs such as food, housing, or college tuition.

If you want to get help for child care, there are some programs available to help. Here are the different government programs you should know:

Child Care Financial Assistance

It is also known as subsidies, certificates, or vouchers. The states and territories get funding from the federal government. The purpose is to offer assistance, especially for child care finance. This program can help low-income families to pay for their childcare costs so they can attend school or work.

Each state has different eligibility requirements. Therefore, you should choose your state on this page and open the “Financial Assistance for Families” tab to get the local childcare financial program.

Head Start and Early Head Start

The program supports preparing children from age 5 for school. Also, it provides services for children to support their early learning and development.

The contribution of this program is also important to support mental well-being and physical health for low-income families.

State-funded Prekindergarten

The programs help children between three and five years of age. The focus of this program is to help children so they are ready to learn for kindergarten, only for eligible families at no cost.

Military Child Care Financial Assistance Programs

There are some programs to help military families pay for child care.

Social Grants in Energy and Utilities Subsidies

Another social grant from the government in the United States of America is in the field of energy and utilities. The Department of Energy or DOE has existed in the federal government since 1977.

This department has a mission to support the security and prosperity in America, especially for the energy, environmental, and nuclear issues through technology solutions. Here are some grant programs under the DOE:

Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program Office

WIPO works together with the state and local governments, overseas U.S. territories, and Indian tribes. The goal is to increase resources and achieve measurable reductions, especially in energy usage.

Through this program, the government also has set goals to improve energy efficiency, grow renewable energy, and expand economic opportunities. WIPO offers funds to the mentioned parties so they can run clean energy programs. However, WIPO does not give any funding or assistance to any private companies or persons.

State Energy Program

This program is also one of the solutions from the government to offer leadership. The concerns are on energy efficiency and renewable energy in the state based on communication, activities, and technology deployment.

SEP program provides access to new resources and partnerships. Besides, SEP supports states to improve the security of energy infrastructure by using energy plans based on the development of the state. SEP offers financial and technical support to each state based on formulas and grants. States will use the formula grants to support state strategies.

Summary

How has the government contributed to social grants? By providing cash assistance, health insurance, food assistance, housing subsidies, education, and childcare assistance, also energy and utility subsidies. The government has contributed to social grants to increase awareness of those social issues among the public.

By providing social grants, the government can support low-income families or individuals to cover their basic needs. Also, the grants can alleviate the negative effect of poverty and strengthen socioeconomic development.

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