Aid to Dependent Children

Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) was a federal assistance program in the United States designed to provide financial support to children whose primary breadwinner, usually a parent, was absent, unable to work, or deceased. It aimed to ensure basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter were met for vulnerable children. The program operated through state agencies and was later replaced by Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) in 1935. Its primary goal was to reduce poverty among dependent children and support their well-being during times of family hardship.