Public Policy and Federal Legislation

Influences on the Development of Family and

Consumer Sciences

Information gathered by Lucy CampanisRevised by Mikki MeadowsEIU School of Family & Consumer Sciences

What Is Public Policy?

• Rules or regulations at the local, state, or federal level of government-the public sector

• Formalization of societal preferences

Public Policy Issue• Point of concern for which there are

varied opinions• Seldom clear-cut right or wrong

solutions• Opinions are generally based on

value judgments• Neutral

– proposed solutions may be positive or negative, based on different perspectives

Public Policy and the Family

• Families are affected by public policy through– Government regulations– Government services

• Families affect public policy when they– Are informed about issues– Actively participate in the policymaking

process

Formation of Public Policy

• Legislation

• Agency regulations

The Role of the Professional

• Be informed about issues

• Monitor the legislative process

• Provide information to policymakers

• Interpret policy

• Educate families and individuals

AAFCS and Public Policy

• Monitors public policy affecting families and the discipline

• Identifies policy issues on which to focus

• Informs members - keeps them updated

• Provides information (testimony) to legislators

The direction and structure of Family and Consumer sciences, as well as the body of knowledge of the discipline, have been affected by a variety of federal acts and research initiatives.

• 1862 – Morrill Land Grant Act

• 1867 – Office of Education

• 1875 – First Experiment Station– Directed by W. O. Atwater

• 1887 – Hatch Act– Agriculture Experiment

Stations

• 1894 – Congress votes funds for Human Nutrition research

• 1912 – Children’s Bureau– Department of Commerce

and Labor

• 1914 – Smith-Lever Act– Funds for Cooperative Agriculture Extension

• 1915 – Home Economics Specialists added

• 1917 – Smith-Hughes Act– Funds for vocational

education in public schools

• 1923 – Bureau of Home Economics established in the United States Department of Agriculture

• 1925 – Purnell Act

• 1957 – Bureau of Home Economics became the Institute, emphasizing– Human nutrition– Household economics research– Clothing and housing research

• 1963 – Vocational Education Act

• 1970 – National Goals and Guidelines

• 1984 – Carl Perkins Vocational Education Act

• 1986 – AHEA received funds to support public policy

• 1990 – Vocational and Applied Technology Act (Carl Perkins Act II)

• 1995 – School to Work Act

Many pieces of legislation are related to education.

Identify legislation which has impact on:– families – basic areas of family and consumer

sciences– professional practice