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The Family Support Act of 1988 can be successful only if it caters to more people and enrollment is made compulsory. The Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) Training Program, which is part of the Family Support Act, serves only some welfare recipients due to inadequate funding. It is, however, supposed to cater to young parents, long-term recipients and families ineligible for help under Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). JOBS must also emphasize less on education and more on workfare and job placements. More funds are required for day care and health benefits.

The Family Support Act of 1988 has been passed to help reduce poverty in US families by providing income maintenance and self-sufficiency. The Act also provides for a two-year study of benefits including the Family Living Standard (FLS) by the American Public Welfare Association (APWA). The nationally-mandated FLS would be a state-specific plan developed to meet familial needs based on realistic living costs. The Family Support Act is only one aspect of the changes occurring in government policy related to families. Housing is also receiving renewed attention because affordable housing will help families obtain self-sufficiency. Issues that need to be confronted in meeting housing needs include: how to promote federal assistance to encourage and expand state initiatives in housing construction; how to develop programs to encourage income support; and how to connect human services to assisted housing for families with special needs.

The 1988 Family Support Act aimed at changing the status of welfare families from one of dependency to self-sufficiency. The Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) Training Program was implemented by all states in 1990. By 1991, federal and state funding for JOBS totaled $970 million, and the average monthly enrollment was 529,000. JOBS has been working on related issues such as increased skills and education, and almost all states have met the fiscal participation target of 7%. JOBS must, however, cater to more people, enforce a '20-hour rule' weekly participation and set performance standards.

The Family Support Act of 1988 required states and public agencies to provide effective services by Oct 1992. The Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS)Training Program, which constitutes Title IV of the Family Support Act is a national policy on achieving self-sufficiency. Since 1989, state costs towards Aid to families with Dependent Children (AFDC) have risen by nearly $2 billion, and the recession has aggravated the situation. Increased state and federal funding have been proposed. JOBS must also tackle related issues such as the scope of welfare benefits, health care and education reform.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses several reports published within issue on topics including the U.S. Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, the U.S. Full Faith and Credit to Child Support Orders Act (FFCCSOA), and the U.S. Uniform Equitable Distribution Jurisdiction Act.

The article offers information on a federally funded preschool program "Head Start" started by President Lyndon Johnson in January 1964 to enhance comprehensive health, educational and family support services for low-income children. According to Jeanette Valentine, co-author of "Head Start: A Legacy of the War on Poverty," theories of human Ecology developmental psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner were reflected in the nature of the program to enrich educational experiences of children.