Brasília - The government's intention is to reach 6.5 million families with its Family Voucher (Bolsa Familia) program, which has a US$1.97 billion (R$5.8 billion) budget this year.

According to minister of Social Development and Hunger Combat, Patrus Ananias, up to August the program had reached 4.5 million families, with the largest ever, one-time increase occurring exactly in August when 273,000 additional families joined it.

According to the secretary of Income and Citizenship, Andre Teixeira, the August increase came about because state and local authorities joined the program. The states that joined in August were Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Acre, Ceará, Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo and Maranhão. In the near future, Pernambuco, Paraná, Goiás and Tocantins will join.

Agência Brasil
Reporter:Juliana Cézar Nunes
Translator: Allen Bennett
09/03/2004