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English Poor Law
The English Poor Laws was a system created in Whales and England to provide relief for the poor. The law was enacted in 1536 but for the next sixy years other statues were created reguarding the poor. The act culminated in 1601. -
Virginia Colony
The Virginia Coloney passed legislation reguarding services and needs of disabled soliders. Soliders were recgonized for their services to what was at the time their country. -
Plymouth Poor Law
In 1647, the Plymouth Colony, enacts poor laws stating that cases reguarding relief may be discussed in public meetings. -
Scots' Charitable Society
This society was created, in Boston, to provide relif to poor Scotch people. This society became the protogype of other private charity groups in America. -
Workhouse Test Act
The Workhouse Test Act, passed by English Parliment, made it a requirment for unemployed people to work for relief. This act was passed along the colonies. -
New Plymouth Colony Act
The New Plymouth Colony Act created apprenticeships for children in the colonies. -
Williamsburg Asylum
Williamsburg Asylum, is established in Williamsburg, Virginia. It is the first public mental hospital to ever be established. -
Massachusetts Insane Act
Massachusetts puts into practice the first law establising "insane" people as a special group of dependents. -
U.S. Public Health Service
The U.S. Public Health Service was created because of the disease epidemics that shipping and immigration increased. -
Teaching in the Mills
Connecticut made it mandatory for mill owners to teach children, that work in their factories, reading, writing, and math. -
Connecticut Asylum
The House of Representatives passed a bill that granted the asylum for the deaf and dumb six sections of public land. -
Poor Law Reform Act
The Poor Law Reform Act, the first major poor law legislation in England influences American social welfare with its emphasis on complete responsibility of able-bodied people for their own economic security. this is a website describing the reform
http://www.victorianweb.org/history/poorlaw/plaatext.html -
Massachusetts Mandate
Massachusetts began mandating the age of children working in New England factories. -
The Importance of Dorothea Dix
Dorothea Dix investigates the care provided to insane people. Dix is responsible "in founding thirty-two mental hospitals, fifteen schools for the feeble minded, a school for the blind, and numerous training facilities for nurses."
this is a detailed website about Dorothea Dix's life
http://www2.webster.edu/~woolflm/dorotheadix.html -
First Minimum Wage
Pennsylvania establishes the first minimum wage law in the United States. It was around four dollars. -
A Pass and A Veto
"A bill that authorized grants of public land to establish hospitals for insane people and that was initiated by Dorothea Dix and passed unanimously by Congress is vetoed by President Franklin Pierce. The rationale for the veto is that the general welfare clause in the U.S. Constitution reserves such care to the states, not to the federal government, an interpretation that establishes federal welfare policy until the Social Security Act of 1935." -
Freedmen's Aid Societies
Freedmen's Aid Societies was established in the North to send teachers to the South to teach. -
The First Foster Home Agent
The Massachusetts Board of State Charities created the first agent to visit children in foster homes. -
Sanborn Support
Franklin B. Sanborn, former secretary, member, and chairman of the Massachusetts State Board of Charities, announces his support for the use of foster homes for dependent and delinquent children. -
A Course on Social Reform
"The first course on social reform is initiated by Dr. Francis G. Peabody at Harvard University. It is Philosophy 11, described as "The Ethics of Social Reform: The Questions of Charity, Divorce, the Indians, Labor, Prisons, Temperance, Etc., as Problems of Practical Ethics-Lectures, Essays and Practical Observations." -
Hull House
Hull House, is opened by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. -
New York Charity Orgainzation Society
The New York Charity Organization Society created a social work training school and offered annual summer classes for agency workers. -
A Book For Change
Care of Destitute, Neglected and Delinquent Children, written by Homer Folks, became a huge influence on service directions of child welfare. -
Garnet Pelton
Garnet Pelton is the first medical social worker hired. She had to retire after six months of work due to contracting tuberculosis. -
Ida Cannon
Ida Cannon is hired in replacement of Garnet Pelton after she completes an eight month social work course. -
Pittsburgh Associated Charities
Pittsburg became the home of the first community social welfare council. -
Kings Chapel
Kings Chapel, in Boston, pays for social workers to provide services to the handicapped -
Children's Bureau Act
"The Children's Bureau Act (ch. 73, 37 Stat. 79) is passed on April 9. William Howard Taft signed this act into law. The purpose of the newly created bureau was to "investigate and report "upon all matters pertaining to the welfare of children and child life among all classes of our people."" http://www.ssa.gov/history/childb1.html -
U.S. Department of Labor & Commerce
The U.S. Department of Labor and Department of Commerce is established on March fourth. -
Flexner's Opinion
Abraham Flexner in his address to the National Conference of Charities and Correction on "Is Social Work a Profession?" He said "It appears not so much a definite field as an aspect of work in many fields. An aspect of medicine belongs to social work, as do certain aspects of law, education, architecture, etc. . . ." http://pages.uoregon.edu/adoption/archive/FlexnerISWAP.htm -
Children and State Lines
Child labor law stated that it is illegal to transfer goods past state lines if a minimum age limit is not met. -
Illinois Child Welfare Department
Illinois is the first state to have a public welfare department -
National Conference of Social Work
The National Conference of Charities and Correction is now the National Conference of Social Work. -
Child Welfare League of America
The Child Welfare League of America is formed and from 1920-1930 the League helped develop national child welfare standards of practice. -
Exchange to Association
The National Social Workers Exchange is renamed the American Association of Social Workers -
Maternity and Infancy Hygiene Act
"The Maternity and Infancy Hygiene Act, which provides for the first national maternal and child health program, is passed by Congress on November 23. http://www.mchlibrary.info/history/chbu/20659.pdf -
American Association of Schools of Social Work
American Association of Schools of Social Work professionally certified the first school of social work. -
ICSW
Paris held the International Conference of Social Work. Which was formed during the first international conference of philanthropists, charity organizers, social workers, government officials, and others. -
American Public Welfare Association
The American Public Welfare Association was formed. This name was orginally American Association of Public Welfare Officials and in 1998 the name was changed to the American Public Human Services Association. -
Licensing Law
The first licensing law for social workers is passed in Puerto Rico. This is a precursor to later state laws. -
Health Education & Welfare Act
"The Health, Education and Welfare Act is passed by Congress on August 14, providing old age assistance benefits, a Social Security Board, grants to states for unemployment compensation administration, aid to dependent children, maternal and child welfare, public health work, and aid to blind people. Social worker Jane M. Hoey is appointed as the first director of the Federal Bureau of Public Assistance, which administers federal-state aid to aged people, blind people, and dependet children..." -
Social Security Act
The Social Security Act establishes aid to dependent children and aid for Child Welfare services. -
Congress and Kids
Congress provided grants for women who work in war that needed child daycare. -
National Social Welfare Assembly
The National Social Welfare Assembly which was previously the National Social Work Council is organized -
Declaration of the Rights of the Child
The United Nations accpeted in to practice the Declaration of the Rights of the Child -
Mandatory Child Absue Reporting
CWLA Standards for Child Protective Services begins requiring mandatory child abuse reporting laws in most states. -
Foster Parents
National Foster Parents Association is established. -
Welfare State Spending
For the first time in history, social welfare spending was higher than national security spending. This was due in part to the public believing that the government is responsible for protecting them from illness, unemployment, or old age. -
Reagan's Time
In 1981, Ronald Reagan, cut social welfare spending, stating that people abuse the system and that government is the problem. -
Clinton's Decision
President Bill Cliton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Oppertunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. A purpose of the act was to reduce the dependency of needy families by encouraging the unemployed to seek jobs. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c104:1:./temp/~c104YldPqw:e29376: -
Bush's Era
President Bush establish a Faith-Based social welfare policy. He allowed churches to apply for social federal aid to provide services such as, drug counseling, soup-kitchen, etc.