The Flemming Rule of 1960 was an administrative ruling which decreed that U.S. states could not deny income assistance eligibility through the U.S. Aid to Families with Dependent Children program on the basis of a home being considered unsuitable per the woman's children being termed as illegitimate,[1] a term for the status of a child born to parents who are unmarried to one another.
It was named after Arthur Flemming, who at the time was the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
In response to this, the Louisiana Department of Health, Education and Welfare, administrator of the income assistance program, implemented the Flemming Rule.
Webb suggested that the rule was implemented poorly, which led to unnecessary negative consequences for African American children.
In the article, Webb also discusses how the Flemming Rule may have influenced future policies.