Is there any US social program that is not?
830549
The nature of anything that can be abused is that it will be!
904409
no but social services will
509179
Yes for somethings healthcare can be free in the US. For most people it is not and we pay for it in way or another.
1158980
One of the best programs that I am aware of is "Kindersigns". The Human Services program Birth to Three uses some of the signs especially in babies who are language delayed. The signing can also be used with babies who are quite young. There is a book out called 'Kindersigns Baby Signing 101' - it's not just for babies.
637652
Canada has similar programs, In the good ole US, we deny we have a drug problem, but we do offer needle exchanges for folks to get new clean ones, so they don't share.
879592
Wow! I'm amazed by the bias and misunderstanding evidenced in the answers so far. . . I have lived in a country with "socialized medicine" (Denmark) so I know something about it.  To answer the question, I believe that the U.S. may now be the only western country without a national socialized health-care system.  \n\nAs some mentioned here, in socialized medicine, taxes or other federal and state revenues would pay for our individual medical costs.  But to assume that this would automatically be a big hardship for the taxpayer shows a misunderstanding of the way such a system works and the options in the set-up that we would need to consider.  \n\nThere are many ways to pay for socialized health care, and they don't always involve raised taxes.  For one example, consider this: right now, our tax dollars are wasted to an enormous degree on the pet projects of various legislators - projects that most of us do not know about and wouldn't care to be paying for!  I would like to see some of this "pork-barrel" spending done away with (and I believe that we are moving in that direction as people educate themselves about it and demand change) - that would go a long way toward funding things like a national health-care system.  Other forms of government waste exist also, where funds would be better spent on insuring all our citizens.\n\nThe biggest thing that would worry me personally about such a system, and that may be much of the reason why we don't yet have it in the U.S., is that its establishment would necessarily require some level of federal-level regulation.  Americans (myself included) have a traditional distaste for too much government control on the federal level.  \n\nBut in this case, federal regulation and the meddling that would come with it,  may be a necessary evil that we need to consider - because the alternative is to keep going along the path we are on, in which with every year we see fewer employers able to insure employees, the costs of individually-purchased policies grow more outlandish, and the numbers of uninsured citizens increase by thousands.\n\nI think that it is telling that we are the last free-world, western, civilized nation to NOT be insuring ALL its citizens.  In America, we believe that citizens have a birth right to some things - like education and social security.  I believe we need to start believing as a nation that everyone has a right to be treated when they are ill without it bankrupting them.  It's really a right to LIVE.  It seems elementary that we would want to keep all our citizens healthy, not just the wealthy and lucky.  Something is going to have to give, and soon. \n\nMac at ASKEW\nhttp://askew.blogharbor.com
285451
I know that in NY you can. Call your local dept of social services, they can probably answer that for you.
409752
How about the "Y". They have different things going on all the time, and I believe it's very inexpensive if not free. There are locations all over the US. I'm sure there are several in NYC. Good Luck!
285820
Try the Alliance Francais.  It is French Gov't run program that has offices in a lot of major cities.  They have courses and clubs for conversation.
1037159
There are none that do so. However if you only need an address or phone number within the USA then I suggest:\n\nhttp://www.daplus.us
617518
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/americangovernment3.htm
599781
What program needs it?
35321
Socialisn does not mean equate to freedom and libtery.  Everything for the good of the country.  Read and understand.  there's nothing free about Socialism.
905663
In some ways, our programs are abused, however, try to stand in someone elses shoes.  Many of these programs give medical care to poor children (who have no control over their parents).  Others get help to drug users and alcoholics, donate supplies to schools, and help poor single moms feed their families.\n\nSome just are not born under good conditions.  This keep streets much cleaner than if they did not exsist. We live in a great country.
953191
Only if your employer has a valid alternative. \n\nPrimary example:\nExecutive Summary\nApproximately five million state and local employees are exempt from Social Security and instead participate in retirement plans administered on the state and local levels. The history of those retirement plans provides valuable information for policymakers attempting to reform the federal program.\nhttp://www.socialsecurity.org/pubs/ssps/ssp-16es.html
705052
No. Find a walk on program.
28936
Not a government orginization