Social and Welfare Services

Most of the things done today by individuals, charitable societies or governments as social and welfare services have been done in the past in many societies. Closer to current times, poverty, child neglects, and other social ills were pioneers in many of today’s social and welfare services, although they too had called such services by various other names such as “organized charity,” or “philanthropic work”

Notably the newly independent and developing countries, have attempted to apply the term social services to those services, such as education and health, that are addressed to the general population and to apply the tem welfare services to services rendered to vulnerable groups – groups that are socially, economically, physically, or mentally handicapped or special groups would apply to those persons who because of the misfortunes of circumstances have tended to lag behind or fall by the wayside

Another classification of social and welfare services focuses on their remedial, preventive, and supportive roles. Remedial services express the basic humanitarian and social responsibility of society toward people in their need or distress. The y seek to meet the special needs of various sections of the population, such as the young, the old, the destitute, and the handicapped. Preventive services seek to lessen the stresses and strains of life resulting from social and technological changes. The try to provide built-in safeguards to meet the problems facing individuals and families, particularly in times of economic growth. If effective, they should reduce the need for more expensive remedial programs, Supportive services deal with educational programs, health services, population policies, manpower planning, employment and training, and community development projects.