Congressional Research Service Reports - 156 Matching Results
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- Child Welfare and Family Problems: Legislation and Issues in the 97th Congress
- This issue brief contains a discussion of the evolution of existing child and family related social services programs.
- U.S. Family-Based Immigration Policy
- This report discusses family based immigration law and policy and arguments for expanding or restricting family-based immigration numbers.
- Federal Expenditures for Family Planning and Population Control Bills Introduced in the 91st Congress
- This report lists federal expenditure amounts related to family planning for FY1968-1970 and population control bills introduced in the 91st Congress.
- Adoption in the United States
- This report discusses adoption in the U.S. and includes statistics, information on adoption related legislation, and articles on challenges and current topics of discussion related to adoption.
- Child Welfare: Reauthorization of the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program in the 107th Congress
- This report discusses the reauthorization of the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Amendments of 2001. The new law maintains the FY2001 mandatory funding level, authorizes additional discretionary funding, and grants new program authority to provide mentoring services for children of prisoners. In addition, the enacted legislation allows states to use Promoting Safe and Stable Families funds for infant "safe haven" programs, provides for reallocation of unused program funds, clarifies language defining family support programs, and gives more explicit instructions to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding use of funds set aside for research, evaluation and technical assistance.
- Early Childhood Education: Preschool Participation, Program Efficacy, and Federal Policy Issues
- This report examines what we currently know about preprimary programs, including numbers of children served and their family characteristics; as well as data on the efficacy of preprimary programs in enhancing later learning and other life skills. It also discusses federal programs that serve preschool age children are described, and policy issues which may arise as the federal role in early childhood education.
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Size and Characteristics of the Cash Assistance Caseload
- This report examines the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance caseload, focusing on how the composition and characteristics of families receiving assistance have changed over time.
- A History of Federal Estate, Gift, and Generation-Skipping Taxes
- This report details the history of the three federal transfer taxes, tracing their development from their eighteenth century roots to the present.
- Federal Income Tax Treatment of the Family
- No Description Available.
- IRS Reform: Innocent Spouse Rule
- Married couples filing joint tax returns are liable individually and as a couple for all taxes due on the return with a limited exemption for innocent spouses. This report discusses joint and several liability, which has been the subject of much criticism and calls for reform or elimination.
- Child Support Enforcement: New Reforms and Potential Issues
- P.L. 104-193 (the 1996 welfare reform legislation) made major changes to the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program. Some of the changes include requiring states to increase the percentage of fathers identified, establishing an integrated, automated network linking all states to information about the location and assets of parents, and requiring states to implement more enforcement techniques to obtain collections from debtor parents. Additional legislative changes were made in 1997, 1998, and 1999, but not in 2000, 2001, or 2002. This report describes several aspects of the revised CSE program and discusses three issues that probably will be reexamined by the 108th Congress — CSE financing, parental access by noncustodial parents, and distribution of support payments.
- Child Support Provisions Considered But Not Enacted During the 2002-2005 Welfare Reauthorization Debate
- Although the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (enacted February 8, 2006) included significant changes to the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program, it did not include many of the child support provisions that had been considered during the preceding four-year debate within the context of welfare reauthorization. This report discusses 12 such provisions that were passed by either the House or the Senate Finance Committee (or both). The Administration has included several of these provisions in its FY2008 budget.
- Child Support Enforcement: $25 Annual User Fee
- This report discusses the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program, which was enacted in 1975 as a federal-state program to help strengthen families by securing financial support for children from their noncustodial parent on a consistent and continuing basis and by helping some families to remain self-sufficient and off public assistance by providing the requisite CSE services.
- Poverty in the United States: 2008
- This report examines poverty in the United States. In 2008, 39.8 million people were counted as poor in the United States - an increase of 2.6 million persons from 2007, and nearly the largest number of persons counted as poor since 1960. The poverty rate, or percent of the population considered poor under the official definition, was reported at 13.2%; this is up from 12.5% in 2007, and is the highest rate since 1997. The recent increase in poverty reflects the worsening of economic conditions since the onset of the economic recession in December 2007. Many expect poverty to rise further next year, and it will likely remain comparatively high even after the economy begins to recover. The incidence of poverty varies widely across the population according to age, education, labor force attachment, family living arrangements, and area of residence, among other factors.
- Child Support Enforcement: New Reforms and Potential Issues
- P.L. 104-193 (the 1996 welfare reform legislation) made major changes to the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program. Some of the changes include requiring states to increase the percentage of fathers identified, establishing an integrated, automated network linking all states to information about the location and assets of parents, and requiring states to implement more enforcement techniques to obtain collections from debtor parents. Additional legislative changes were made in 1997, 1998, and 1999, but not in 2000, 2001, or 2002. This report describes several aspects of the revised CSE program and discusses three issues that probably will be reexamined by the 108th Congress — CSE financing, parental access by noncustodial parents, and distribution of support payments.
- Population Assistance and Family Planning Programs: Issues for Congress
- This report discusses the U.S. population assistance issues, policy issues in the U.S. family planning debate, and U.S. funding levels. This policy, has generated contentious debate for over two decades, resulting in frequent clarification and modification of U.S. international family planning programs.
- International Population Assistance and Family Planning Programs: Issues for Congress
- This report provides context for the debate concerning international population planning based on principles of volunteerism and informed choice that gives participants access to information on all methods of birth control and discusses funding levels.
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant: An Overview
- This report provides a nontechnical introduction to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. The report briefly describes the history of cash assistance and how the "welfare reform" debates led to the creation of TANF; TANF financing; the TANF cash welfare programs and; other TANF benefits, services, and activities.
- Abortion and Family Planning-Related Provisions in U.S. Foreign Assistance Law and Policy
- The report summarizes the legislation that imposes restrictions on the U.S. funding of abortion or family planning activities in foreign countries. The report lists the amendments concerning this legislation and historical positions of the executive branch.
- Child Support Enforcement: New Reforms and Potential Issues
- P.L. 104-193 (the 1996 welfare reform legislation) made major changes to the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program. Some of the changes include requiring states to increase the percentage of fathers identified, establishing an integrated, automated network linking all states to information about the location and assets of parents, and requiring states to implement more enforcement techniques to obtain collections from debtor parents. Additional legislative changes were made in 1997, 1998, and 1999, but not in 2000, 2001, 2002, or 2003. This report describes several aspects of the revised CSE program and discusses three issues that probably will be reexamined by the 108th Congress — CSE financing, parental access by noncustodial parents, and distribution of support payments.
- Adoption Promotion Legislation in the 105th Congress
- This report discusses the type of adoption legislation in the 105th Congress. Specifically, the report tackles the idea that children are kept in foster care too long and that this may cause lower adoption rates. The report also discusses the enormous support for this legislation in the Senate and the House.
- The Child Care and Development Block Grant: Background and Funding
- This report provides information about the Background and Funding of the Child Care and Development Block Grant.
- Child Support Enforcement: New Reforms and Potential Issues
- P.L. 104-193 (the 1996 welfare reform legislation) made major changes to the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program. Some of the changes include requiring states to increase the percentage of fathers identified, establishing an integrated, automated network linking all states to information about the location and assets of parents, and requiring states to implement more enforcement techniques to obtain collections from debtor parents. Additional legislative changes were made in 1997, 1998, and 1999, but not in 2000 or 2001. This report describes several aspects of the revised CSE program and discusses three issues that probably will be reexamined by the 107th Congress — CSE financing, parental access by noncustodial parents, and distribution of support payments.
- Child Support Enforcement: New Reforms and Potential Issues
- P.L. 104-193 (the 1996 welfare reform law) made major changes to the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program. Some of the changes include requiring states to increase the percentage of fathers identified, establishing an integrated, automated network linking all states to information about the location and assets of parents, and requiring states to implement more enforcement techniques to obtain collections from debtor parents. Additional legislative changes were made in 1997, 1998, and 1999, but not in 2000, 2001, 2002, or 2003. This report describes several aspects of the revised CSE program and discusses three issues of concern to the 108th Congress — CSE financing, parental access by noncustodial parents, and distribution of child support payments.
- Federal Individual Income Tax Thresholds for 2004
- This report presents the tax thresholds for various families for tax year 2004.
- The Child Care and Development Block Grant: Background and Funding
- This report provides information about the Background and Funding of the Child Care and Development Block Grant.
- Dependent Care: Current Tax Benefits and Legislative Issues
- No Description Available.
- International Population Assistance and Family Planning Programs: Issues for Congress
- This report examines issues surrounding the debate on family planning, which is at times the most contentious foreign aid issue considered by Congress. The cornerstone of U.S. policy has remained a commitment to international family planning programs based on principles of volunteerism and informed choice that give participants access to information on all major methods of birth control. At present, USAID maintains family planning projects in more than 60 countries that include counseling and services, training of health workers, contraceptive supplies and distribution, financial management, public education and marketing, and biomedical and contraceptive research and development. USAID applies a broad reproductive health approach to its family planning programs, increasingly integrating it with other interventions regarding maternal and child health, the enhancement of the status of women, and HIV prevention and transmission.
- Children in Poverty: Profile, Trends, and Issues
- This report documents the trends of economic well-being of children, giving data on child poverty and the employment rate of their mothers.
- Child Support Enforcement: New Reforms and Potential Issues
- P.L. 104-193 (the 1996 welfare reform legislation) made major changes to the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program. Some of the changes include requiring states to increase the percentage of fathers identified, establishing an integrated, automated network linking all states to information about the location and assets of parents, and requiring states to implement more enforcement techniques to obtain collections from debtor parents. Additional legislative changes were made in 1997, 1998, and 1999, but not in 2000. This report describes several aspects of the revised CSE program and discusses three issues that probably will be reexamined by the 107th Congress — CSE financing, parental access by noncustodial parents, and distribution of support payments.
- Child Support Enforcement: New Reforms and Potential Issues
- P.L. 104-193 (the 1996 welfare reform legislation) made major changes to the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program. Some of the changes include requiring states to increase the percentage of fathers identified, establishing an integrated, automated network linking all states to information about the location and assets of parents, and requiring states to implement more enforcement techniques to obtain collections from debtor parents. Additional legislative changes were made in 1997, 1998, and 1999, but not in 2000, 2001, or 2002. This report describes several aspects of the revised CSE program and discusses three issues that probably will be reexamined by the 108th Congress — CSE financing, parental access by noncustodial parents, and distribution of support payments.
- Minimum Wage: Characteristics of Low-Wage Workers and Their Families
- No Description Available.
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant: Issues for the 112th Congress
- No Description Available.
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant: An Introduction
- No Description Available.
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant: An Introduction
- No Description Available.
- Tax Benefits for Families: Changes in the Definition of a Child
- No Description Available.
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Primer on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements
- No Description Available.
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Primer on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements
- No Description Available.
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Primer on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements
- No Description Available.
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant
- No Description Available.
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Primer on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements
- No Description Available.
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Primer on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements
- No Description Available.
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Primer on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements
- No Description Available.
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions
- No Description Available.
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions
- No Description Available.
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions
- No Description Available.
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Eligibility and Benefit Amounts in State TANF Cash Assistance Programs
- No Description Available.
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Size and Characteristics of the Cash Assistance Caseload
- No Description Available.
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Welfare-to-Work Revisited
- No Description Available.
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Welfare-to-Work Revisited
- No Description Available.