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Family Support Programs

Family support programs are public services that help families with children stay together and meet their needs. They include cash aid, foster care, adoption help, child abuse prevention, and support for relatives who raise children. States and counties run most of them with federal money.

People usually ask how to become a foster parent, how adoption assistance works, and what help exists for grandparents raising grandchildren. They also ask how to report child abuse, how cash aid for families is handled, and how to find and apply for programs such as Head Start.

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December 6last updated

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