Family Service Agencies: Responding to Change in a Conservative Decade

Abstract

During the 1980s much of the concern in social services has focused on the impact of external forces on agencies—namely the increase in the problems of the American family with a simultaneous decrease in commitment from the U.S. government for funding and services. A nationwide survey of Family Service America, Inc., member agencies was undertaken in an attempt to assess partially the impact of these environmental changes on voluntary social service agencies. The data indicate that the increased needs of the community took precedence over the decline in public sector support. Response to a conservative environment led to interorganizational changes, which allowed for program expansion in an attempt to meet the increased demand for human services.