There is a general division in Canada between SOCIAL SECURITY programs and social and welfare services. Social security programs, which are the responsibility of all levels of government, provide direct economic assistance in one form or another to individuals or families. Included in this category are programs such as FAMILY ALLOWANCES, OLD AGE PENSIONS and provincial and municipal social-assistance programs.
Social and welfare service programs, on the other hand, have been developed in an attempt to respond to personal, social and emotional needs. Included are the services for the residential care of people in government-run or private residences, care of people in their own homes, and a wide range of community-based services such as DAY CARE, home-delivered meals and counselling. These services are now often referred to as the “personal” social services and have been developed and expanded primarily during the latter half of the 20th century.