United States Public Health Service (PHS), Administration for Children and Families
The
United States Public Health Service -more commonly abbreviated as the
PHS - is a collection of agencies overseeing the publicly-funded healthcare systems in the United States. Initially founded in 1798 as a system of marine hospitals, the PHS underwent a series of reorganizations before its current incarnation which was founded in 1942 as part of President
Huey Long's political and economic reforms. Among the agency's initial goals was the encouragement of disease preventing measures among the general public, funding for research and development regarding medicine and medical treatments, and a system of charity hospitals. While not intended to compete with or replace privately operated hospitals and clinics, the scope of the PHS grew rapidly during the administrations of Long and
Graham to become the largest single healthcare provider in the United States. The PHS is also one of the largest employers in the United States including both doctors, nurses, and bureaucratic administrators.
The
Administration for Children and Families - more commonly abbreviated "
ACAF" (pronounced "Ay-saf") - is an agency within the PHS charged with healthcare in the areas of prenatal and neonatal care, pediatrics, and family planning. Founded during the Graham administration, ACAF is the amalgamation of several agencies that had existed within the PHS. On a more popular level, ACAF is known for their distribution of "
Billy Boxes," maternity care packages sent to expectant or adoptive parents of infants which are notably delivered in a box that can be converted into a cradle. They also provide free sterilizations and contraception to poorer families and have engaged in vigorous publicity campaigns to promote these services.