Course Overview & History of the Social Welfare System Approaches to the Social Welfare System The History of the Social Welfare System Colonial Period, Pre-During-Post Civil War Period, Progressive Era, Great Depression & The New Deal, The Social Reform Years, The Retrenchment Years & the New Millennium

1. Public Assistance & Benefits
HMS 16
Thursday 6pm-8:50pm
Instructor: Thu Tran, MSW

2. ● Attendance
● Syllabus
● Lecture
● Break
● Journal
● Select Group Presentations
Agenda

3. Group Standards
You will want to discuss:
Group leaders
Group expectations
Schedule meeting times as needed
Deadlines-research, turn in information
Who will gather all materials to make it
cohesive

4. Course Overview & History of
the Social Welfare System
What do you know about the Social Welfare
System?
● Take 2 minutes and write down what you
know about the Social Welfare System.

5. What is Social Welfare?
● Social Welfare addresses the well-being of
people in society.
● It is a collection of programs, resources &
services available to help people
● Social welfare services are created and
established through:
o Public Laws and Policies
o Federal & state legislatures and local & court

6. Helping People
● Institutional services are in place to
PREVENT problems.
o They are proactive and provide benefits or services
to people before problem arise.
● Residual services come in to play only
AFTER there is an identifiable problem.
o They are designed to address only the identified
problems and are only available when all other
resources are lacking and when there is a
documented need.

7. The History of U.S. Social
Welfare
● Today’s Social Welfare System (SWS) reflects 4
centuries of responses to social needs.
● Development of SW policy and systems since the
earliest European colonist arrived in this country.
● Can be broken down to 9 key periods
o Colonial
o Pre Civil War, Civil War & Post Civil War
o Progressive Era
o The Great Depression & The New Deal
o World War II & The Post-War Economy
o The Social Reform Years
o The Retrenchment Years
o Now-New Millennium: Terrorism, War and Financial Struggles

8. Colonial Period
● First SW policy to be widely implemented in
this country was an English system based on
the Elizabthen Poor Laws.
● What is it’s primary principles?
o The poor were categorized as: worthy or unworthy to
receive aid
 Worthy poor: widows, orphans, elderly & people
w/ disabilities
 Unworthy poor: able-bodied single adults &
unmarried women w/ children born out of
wedlock

9. ● Aid for the poor first came from families and
only when the family absolutely could not
provide economic support, did public
authorities step in.
● Legal residency in the community was
necessary to be eligible for assistance.
● Assistance was temporary and only for
emergencies. The ultimate goal was for each
recipient to gain employment or marry
someone who was employed.

10. Pre-Civil War
Growing Social Problems
● Influx of European immigrants
● Communities could not afford adequate care for social needs and
sought new ways to deal with poverty and social problems
Responding to Needs
● Creation of residential institution (referred to as indoor relief) were
developed by local government & private relief groups. They
include:
o Almshouses for the poor
o Asylums for people w/ mental health problems
o Orphanages for children without parents could not afford to
care for them
● The institutions were believed to be the way alleviate social
problems

11. The Civil War & Post Civil
War
● 1860s, Social & economic differences between the North and
the South led the U.S. into a Civil War.
● Devastation & upheaval caused by the war contributed to a
national realization that some social concerns were well
beyond the reach of families & local communities.
● Post war, reconstruction period, federal government tried to
aid displaced families and make reparation for losses
incurred in the war.
● Results: Freedman’s Bureau was launched in 1865 as the first
federal social service program to help provide temporary
assistance to newly freed slaves by:
o Reuniting families
o Medical care
o Food Rations
o Make property available

12. Progressive Era
● Rapid industrialization caused a significant economic
change.
● The tremendous social, economic and political change
during this era gave rise to new ways to address societal
problems resulting in the birth of the social work
profession.
● Charity Organization Societies and the Settlement
Movement evolved.
o These were non-governmental movements served as
the foundation of the social work profession.
o An awareness of the influence of environmental or
structural factors on the individual’s life influenced
new social values for welfare services.

13. The Great Depression & The
New Deal
● Most significant economic downturn in the
U.S. history.
● During the Great Depression, the imbalance
between supply & demand destroyed social
well-being on an immense scale.
● The scope of the problems and social needs
overwhelmed existing state, local and private
agencies and programs.

14. Outcomes:
● Permanent involvement of the federal government in
both the provision of social services and the regulation
of the economy.
● Social and Economic reforms were introduced.
The New Deal
● First responded w/ immediate financial relief and short-
term employment and then follow up by investing
public funds promote long-term employment.
o Immediate efforts includes:
 distribution of funds through the Federal Emergency
Relief Administration & Civil Works Administration
 Organized and provided permanent solutions

15. ● Social Security Act of 1935 allowed for:
o Long term protection through a federal program of
social insurance and public assistance.
o The first comprehensive federal effort to ensure
economic security and address poverty.

16. World War II
● WWII forced the nation to focus its economic and social
resources on war.
o It increased employment as people joined the
military and went to work in war-related industries.
● Post war: federal legislation had a profound effect on
returning soldiers. New legislation created.
o The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (GI Bill)
which help soldiers adapt to civilian life.
 Education
 Training
 Employment services
 Home and Business loans

17. Post War Economy
● 1950s, there was a large focus on family and individual
achievements. The government aligned themselves to
this focus by helping families with:
o Subsidizing home ownership and transportation
o Moving out of city life to newly developed suburban
● Negative affects:
o Fragmentation of extended families
o Lack of support from family
o A greater need for outside resources
o Leaving disenfranchised individuals in the city-
causing a lower, middle and upper class distinction

18. Social Reform Years
● Federal government remained involved in helping through
social welfare policies and programs, there were still gaps and
holes in support.
o Biggest gap was in medical care for the elderly & poor
● 1965, Medicaid and Medicare were passed into law:
o Medicaid: health coverage for low income
o Medicare: health coverage for senior citizens & people w/
disabilities
● Other efforts introduced to battle the War on Poverty in the
1960s was the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 which
introduced various programs:
o Job Training
o Employment Incentives
o Community Action
o Food Stamp
o Head Start

19. Retrenchment Years
● Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980 on a platform
of decreasing the federal government’s role in social welfare
and turning back to local entities. This is known as
“Devolution”.
o It diminished role for the federal government in anti-poverty
programs & increased variation among other programs.
● 1990s, most significant changes in the welfare reform was
Aid to Families w/ Dependent Children transition to
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programs.
o AFDC provided primary cash support for poor women &
children
o TANF provided temporary financial assistance while
aiming to get people off of that assistance primarily
through employment.

20. Social Welfare in the New Millennium:
Terrorism, War and Financial Struggles
Since the terrorist attack on 9/11/01, there was a shift from
the devolution of government social services.
● Federal government invested in the provision and funding
of most social services programs.
● The U.S. Economy has gone through 2 economic
downturns during Pres. Bush Sr & Jr’s presidency.
o 2001 Recession & 2007-2008 Mortgage Financial woes
● Impact: affected employment and income which produced
needs for:
o Health Care Coverage
o Rent
o Food Assistance

21. ● Election & Re-election of Pres. Obama in 2008 &
2012 led to:
o Death of Osama Bin Laden
o Withdrawal of troops and promise to end the
war (Iraq & Afghanistan)
o Reform of health care- 2010 Affordable Care
Act/Obama Care
o Womens rights
o Tackle Unemployment & Mortgage issues
o Energy policy and Gun control

22. Journal 1
What is/or was your experience with the Social
Welfare System? If you personally have not
utilize it, has someone from your family or
friends? What was your/their experience like?
Would you recommend others to tap into this
resource?