Youth Indicators 1996 / Indicator 22, Chart 1

Indicator 22. Federal Aid to Families

Percent of children under 18 years old receiving AFDC payments: 1950 to 1992

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Statistical Abstract of the United States; Current Population Reports, Series P-20, Household and Family Characteristics, various years; and unpublished data. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration and Family Support Administration, unpublished data. U.S. Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Your Federal Income Tax, various years; and public information.

During the 1960s, the number and percentage of children receiving AFDC benefits rose dramatically as federal programs expanded. Since 1975, the number and proportion of children receiving AFDC benefits fluctuated within a relatively narrow range. At the same time, the average value in constant dollars of AFDC monthly payments has declined from $193 per recipient in 1975 to $133 per recipient in 1993.