Jane Addams and Lillian Wald are associated with advancing which areas in urban policy?

• A. Education, public health, child welfare, labor protections, and civil rights
• B. Military policy
• C. Tax policy
• D. Religious reform

Answer: (A)

Urban reform during the Progressive Era focused on bringing education, health care, and social services directly into city neighborhoods, and Jane Addams and Lillian Wald were at the forefront of that shift. Through settlement houses like Hull House and Henry Street, they built hands-on programs that connected residents to learning opportunities, childcare, libraries, and preventive health services. This approach made education accessible to both children and adults and addressed the day-to-day needs of urban families living in crowded, underserved neighborhoods.

Their work extended into improving public health in cities—nursing visits, health education, and efforts to prevent disease among crowded urban populations—so that families could stay healthier while navigating urban life. They also focused on child welfare by providing safe spaces for children, support for working parents, and advocacy for protections that reduced child exploitation and improved schooling opportunities. In terms of labor protections, they pushed for safer workplaces, reasonable working hours, and child-labor restrictions, recognizing that the urban economy depended on the well-being of workers and their families.

Civil rights entered their work as broader inclusion and empowerment: both advocated for marginalized groups—immigrants, women, and poor urban residents—to have access to education, health care, and civic participation. Taken together, these efforts align with advancing education, public health, child welfare, labor protections, and civil rights.

The other options don’t reflect the focus of their urban reform work, which centered on social welfare, health, education, and rights within cities rather than military policy, tax policy, or religious reform.