To be qualified in the child care credit exemption, an applicant must have at least one qualifying child and must generate income under a certain limit, depending upon the applicant’s tax filing status (e.g., single, married, filing jointly, etc.).

A child can only be pronounced as a qualifying child if he or she satisfies all of the following:
• The child is under the age of 17 at the end of the year;
• The child is the taxpayer’s son, daughter, grandchild, legally adopted child, stepchild, eligible foster child, sister, brother, stepsister, stepbrother, or a descendant of any of the above;
• The child has lived in the same residence as that of the taxpayer for more than half of the taxable year, except for absences due to illness, education, business, vacation, or military service.

The child care credit is a big help to families who have qualified children living with them as this would mean greatly reducing their tax liabilities. The Child Tax Credit will also enable families to save money for other pressing matters and needs.

COBRA benefits give former employees and their immediate families the right to enjoy continuous medical insurance and health coverage offered by their companies even after termination.

COBRA only covers an initial insurance premium plan that has 20 or more employees working at least half of the year at the time of termination. This includes both full and part-time workers.

Cobra health coverage and COBRA medical insurance give terminated employees ample time to be protected until they are able to get another insurance coverage. With COBRA insurance policies, the retrenched beneficiary and their families can get the following COBRA benefits:

• Inpatient and outpatient hospital care;
• Physician care;
• Surgery and other major medical benefits;
• Prescription drugs;
• Any other medical benefits, such as dental and vision care

Apart from former employees and retirees, the employee’s spouse, the employee’s dependent child/ children, and any child born to or placed for adoption with a covered employee during the period of COBRA coverage can be deemed a legitimate beneficiary the COBRA medical insurance.

The disaster aid that comes from the Disaster for Individuals and Families comes in the form of money or immediate assistance directly given to the beneficiaries. There are different types of immediate assistance from the disaster relief fund. Depending on the current need of the affected, FEMA can provide the following during any disaster:

• Temporary Housing – qualified individuals are given financial assistance to find a place to stay for a limited period. In case of unavailability of rental units, FEMA houses the disaster victims in government housing units;

• Repair – homeowners whose houses were damaged can avail of a substantial amount of money to help cover repair and reconstruction costs;

• Replacement – for homes that are totally destroyed, the Disaster for Individuals and Families provides money to families to help cover the construction of a new home.

Requirement for eligibility to receive disaster aid may vary from state to state. But generally, an individual must live in an area whose property has been damaged or destroyed and whose losses are not included in their insurance coverage.

Early Headstart aims to provide assistance to pregnant women and low-income families with infants and toddlers. The program’s goals revolve around the following:

• To promote healthy prenatal outcomes for pregnant women;
• To improve the development of very young children, and;
• To promote healthy family functioning.

A part of the Head Start initiative, the Early Head Start project reaches out to qualified families through Migrant Head Start programs, Parent Child Centers, and Comprehensive Child Development Centers (CCDPs).

To determine the eligibility of families seeking the benefits of the Early Headstart program, several income and poverty guidelines need to be considered. Such guidelines vary from one state to another. Aside from income, other criteria for eligibility include:

• Be at or below Federal Poverty Guidelines or have a child with a diagnosed disability ;
• Have a child under age 24 months, or be expecting a child ;
• Live in the designated catchment areas.

As of 2006, Head Start has serviced 61,500 children and developed into a nationwide project of 708 community-based programs. Aside from providing developmental activities that aid in early childhood development such as the Headstart preschool programs, parents and future parents are also encouraged to get involved in activities and projects that develop parenting skills.

The Earned Income Tax Credit is a refundable federal income tax credit, which means that if the earned income credit exceeds the amount of taxes owed, it results in a tax refund for those who claim and qualify for the credit.

To pass the eligibility standards of the earned income tax credit, a taxpayer must:

• possess a valid Social Security Number;
• have earned income from employment or from self-employment;
• have separate filing status;
• be a U.S. citizen or a resident alien all year, or a nonresident alien married to a U.S. citizen or resident alien and filing a joint return;
• not be a qualifying child of another person

If you do not have a qualifying child, the taxpayer must:

• be aged 25 but under 65 at the end of the year;
• live in the United States for more than half the year, and;
• not qualify as a dependent of another person

The earned income credit deduction of the taxes of modest income families is pointed as a primary reason for the significant decline in poverty during the 1990s. With further improvement and better amendments, the Earned Income Tax credit may prove to be a major contributor in the goal of eradicating poverty in the United States.

Qualified individuals can get food stamps from the local Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and use them to buy food at most grocery stores in the United States. The benefits of food stamps not only affect the low income families who are in need of money to buy food, but the local economy as well.

With the Food Stamps Program providing low-income families with food stamps to purchase food, these social units can use their money to buy other pressing needs such as clothing and medication. Virtually, food stamps increase the purchasing power of such families and their spending contributes to the local economical growth.

On October 1, 2008, the federally funded Food Stamps Program changed its name to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as part of the recently enacted 2008 Farm Bill. The new name reflects the shift of the program’s focus in providing qualified individuals with healthier options.
There are several factors used to determine the eligibility of an individual to receive aid from SNAP. These factors include:

• Resources and income;
• Employment;
• Immigrant status;
• Special considerations for the disabled and elderly

Today, SNAP brings food to the tables of 28 million people each month. With the food stamp, Americans generating low incomes can save up to 70% of their monthly food expenditures, with SNAP providing the food cost for about $94 per person or $214 per household on a monthly basis.

The Head Start program continues to serve and cover the educational and health needs of children in the United States. Since 2005, over 22 million pre-school aged children have been provided with quality education and other benefits through the Head Start education project. Other milestones achieved by the Head Start education project include the construction, operation, and maintenance of over 48,000 classrooms in all states (nearly in every county).

Eligibility is mostly determined by family income. If an individual meets the income standards, he or she must pass the following criteria to be fully eligible for Head Start programs:

• Have children from 6 weeks to 5 years, or ;
• Positive pregnancy;
• Have children with special needs with an Individual Education Plan (IEP), or Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP), or;
• Have foster children with high risk factors, or ;
• A parent with a disability and/or possessing disabling conditions.

Headstart has made significant impacts on the society, especially on children. With the help of concerned advocates, the program continues to provide the needs of children of low-income families to have a better life ahead.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, provides financial support to low income families for their heating and cooling payments. Established in 1981, LIHEAP continues to provide energy assistance to qualified families through annual funding by the House of Congress.

Eligibility for LIHEAP differs greatly from one grantee to another. Generally, the LIHEAP bill declares that an individual is eligible if one member of his household is also receiving the following forms of federal assistance:

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
• Supplemental Security Income
• Food Stamps
• Certain needs tested Veteran Benefits.

In addition, program policies state that Income eligibility criteria for LIHEAP may not be placed lower than 110% of the poverty level.

Other criteria for eligibility include passing an assets exam; nonsubsidized housing; living with a household member who is disabled, elderly, or is a young child; or receipt of a utility disconnection notice.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) facilitates the distribution of funds for every state.

Established on July 30, 1965 through the the Social Security Act, Medicaid covers dental services, tuberculosis, sickle cell disease, and likewise includes special services for breast cancer. Medicaid also has a program that covers mental health services. In fact, Medicaid is the sole largest spender for mental health services in the United States – providing services and support for 58 million adults and children.

Each state has their own design in running the Medicaid program; some even have a different name for Medicaid. In California, Medicaid is known as Medi-Cal, while it is called Masshealth in Massachusetts and TennCare in Tennessee. Each state also has its own standards and criteria for Medicaid eligibility.

As technology advances, so does Medicaid. One of Medicaid’s latest features is telemedicine/telehealth. This special service makes use of electronic communication that allows real time conversation between the patient and the physician. This is seen as a cost-effective alternative to the actual face-to-face checkups. Through electronic communication, the patient receives health assessment, diagnosis, intervention, consultation, supervision and information regardless of distance.

The CHIP insurance program was sponsored by Senator Ted Kennedy and received heavy support from former President Bill Clinton and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.  Before its creation, over 10 million children in the United States did not have insurance. Now there are 5 to 6 million children enjoying the protection provided by the SCHIP insurance.

The CHIP kids insurance program is run by a partnership between federal and state governments. Out of 50 state governors, 43 voiced their support for the SCHIP initiatives.

The following information is the SCHIP income standards from April 1, 2008 to March 1, 2009. The chart only applies to families with children below 19 years of age:

SCHIP also offers other programs for families and pregnant women.