The Effects of Means-Tested Social Programs

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Week 4 Discussion 1: Means-tested Social Programs
Means-tested Social Programs for Parenting in The State of Louisiana
The means-tested social programs available for Eboni provided by Louisiana State are Louisiana Head Start as well as Louisiana Special Supplementary Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The Head Start program aims at promoting school readiness of children aged zero to five years (Benefits.org para. 2). The program has the objective of enhancing the social, cognitive, and emotional development of children. On the other hand, the services that Eboni is likely to benefit from the WIC program include nutrition education, supplement foods, and health care referrals.
Long-Term Outcomes Associated With the Means-Tested Program
A child’s early diet plays a vital role in their future health. Children can only become more resistant to diseases as they grow through proper management of initial diets during their early growth and development periods (Department of Children and Family Services para. 1). For instance, the state of Louisiana, through its Head Start program advises parents to feed children with adequate quantities of energy intake and protein-rich foods with docosahexaenoic acid supplementation to boost cognitive function.
Healthy cognitive, social, and emotional development among children begins within an interpersonal context, which entails a positive relationship with parents. The WIC program tasks with informing parents like Eboni the importance of supporting the early emotional and social experiences through responsive caregiving and nurturance (Benefits.

org para.5). The primary long-term benefit of nurturance and responsive caregiving is making children able to regulate their emotions as they grow. These children will subsequently develop a sense of responsiveness to their social environments as well as safety, and predictability.
Louisiana State Welfare Policies for Parenthood
Eboni must adhere to the welfare policies if she chooses whether to parent her child or not. The state of Louisiana provides the Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI), which is a policy for strengthening childcare through quality parenting (Department of Children and Family Services para. 2). In case parents allow caregivers to parent their children, they must be ready to work as a team with the caregivers and concerned state agencies to support the child.

Works cited
Benefits.org. (2018). Louisiana. Retrieved from https://www.benefits.gov/benefits/browse-by-state/state/159. Department of Children and Family Services. (2018). QPI Talking Points. Retrieved from http://www.dcfs.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=pagebuilder&tmp=home&pid=504.