Financial Aid
FAFSA’s Student Aid Index: What It Means for Your Aid
A low Student Aid Index (SAI) can mean greater eligibility for aid without telling a family what college will cost. What college will cost depends on…
Education Family and Social Services
Education, family, and social services cover the public systems that raise, teach, protect, and support people from birth through later life. They include schools and colleges, child care, child protection, family courts, help for people in need, and the public spaces and cultural institutions that hold communities together. States and local governments run most of these services, with federal funding and rules shaping many of them.
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The Webby-recognized AI behind our articles »
Latest in Education Family and Social Services
Tax Credits and Deductions
School Choice Tax Credit: Who Gets the Tax Break?
The federal school-choice tax credit rewards scholarship donors, but their gifts cannot reserve a scholarship for a particular child. A qualifying organization receives the money and…
Cash Assistance
What Is Universal Basic Income (UBI)?
Universal basic income (UBI) would send regular cash to everyone a plan covers, regardless of income or work. Nationally it remains a proposal: a House bill…
Special Education
Special Education Rights Under IDEA
A plain-English guide to IDEA special education rights: requesting evaluations, what schools must provide, key deadlines, and options if services are denied.
Topics in Education Family and Social Services
Learning
Early Childhood covers care and learning before school, K-12 Education covers public schools, Higher Education covers colleges and universities, and Workforce Development covers job training and skills for adults.
Early Childhood
23 articles
- Parental Guide to the CDC Childhood Vaccine Schedule
- Understanding the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) and Its Programs
- Child Care Help: Resources for Parents
K-12 Education
94 articles
- School Safety Drills in America: From Fire Alarms to Lockdowns
- K-12 Education in America: How Curricula Differ Across States
- How All 50 States Approach Education Policy
Children and families
Child Welfare covers the system that protects children, Family Law covers the law of marriage, divorce, and parenting, and Family Services covers programs that help families cope and stay together.
Child Welfare
11 articles
- Understanding the Unaccompanied Children Program
- A Guide to Services for Runaway and Homeless Youth in the U.S.
- Navigating Support for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in the U.S.
Community and support
Social Services and Public Assistance covers public help for people in need, Nonprofits and Philanthropy covers charities and the groups that run them, Community Services covers local places and programs, and Arts, Culture and Humanities covers public support for culture and the humanities.
Social Services and Public Assistance
105 articles
- FEMA Disaster Assistance for Immigrant Families with U.S. Citizen Children
- How Medicare Covers Hearing Aids Through Private Plans
- Moving an Elderly Parent: Address Change Checklist for Government and Private Services
All Articles on Education Family and Social Services
Civil Rights History in Schools: What Federal Education Standards Require
When Reverend Jesse Jackson died in February 2026, the national conversation about his legacy collided with an uncomfortable reality: most American students graduate high…
Why Title IX Interpretations Change Every Administration
When the Supreme Court's conservative majority signaled in January 2026 that it will likely uphold state laws banning transgender girls from competing on female…
Your School Gets Federal Funds. Here’s What Title IX Requires.
Schools across America are caught in a legal trap. More than 24,000 complaints are sitting in the federal Office for Civil Rights, waiting to…
How the Welfare Fraud Crackdown Is Changing Benefits Nationwide
In December 2025, federal authorities announced they had charged 78 defendants in connection with a $250 million fraud scheme centered in Minnesota, making it…
What the New Federal Child Care Funding Restrictions Mean for Parents and States
On January 1, 2026, the Trump administration froze money the federal government gives states to help pay for child care—in all 50 states. Not…
Do School Phone Bans Actually Work?
American schools have undergone one of the fastest and most widespread policy shifts in education history. The smartphone, once seen as a portal to…
The Role of Teacher Unions in America
Teacher unions occupy a unique space in American public policy. They function as both professional associations advocating for teaching standards and industrial labor unions…
How Trump is Working to Shrink the Department of Education
The Trump Administration has managed a comprehensive effort in 2025 to dramatically reduce the size and influence of the U.S. Department of Education (ED).…
How to Donate to the U.S. Government: Rules and Requirements
Governments fund operations primarily through taxes, but they can accept voluntary donations. This comes with significant restrictions. Federal, state, and local rules governing donations…
FEMA Child Care Assistance After Disasters: Eligibility and How to Apply
When a major disaster strikes, families face overwhelming challenges. Beyond the immediate needs for safety and shelter, the disruption to daily life creates immense…