About the Safety Net Almanac Data
These datasets were used to support the data visualizations for the Urban Institute's Safety Net Almanac http://safetynet.urban.org .

The Safety Net Almanac brings together information about government programs that serve people in need.

The Safety Net Almanac features summaries of each program, legislative histories, and interactive graphics that illustrate who's receiving help and what the costs are for states and the federal government..

The Almanac includes eight major programs serving low-income families and individuals.

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Medicaid and CHIP
• Child care assistance
• Housing assistance
• Unemployment Insurance

Data for the different programs have been stored in a common format described in the "data dictionary fields" sheet. The reference table "statistics_ref" gives information on all statistics stored in the database. Statistics are time series, stored in various time frames within 1969 – 2012 (current release), at national and state levels.

Each statistic has a unique "StatID," and statistics are grouped by programs (as defined in the "programs" section of the data dictionary spreadsheet).