Title V of the U.S. Social Security Act of 1935 authorized a federal program to provide health care for poor women and children, particularly for those with special health care needs. Framed upon the principles of the short-lived 1912 Children's Bureau and the Shepperd-Towner Act of 1921, Title V addressed a major national health policy need—to provide minimum health care services for the nation's poorest and most fragile citizens.
Today, the Title V-initiated Maternal and Child Health Bureau operates within the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Proven programs, infant mortality reduction initiatives, and an expanded planning capacity keep Title V a vital resource for poor women and children.
JAMES F. QUILTY, JR.