Policy Environment for Faith-Based Social Services in the United States

This website is an archive and will no longer be updated. For continuing research and analysis of faith-based social services, turn to the
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

Publications

The Policy Environment for Faith-Based Social Services in the United States: What has Changed Since 2002?

Category: Policy or Legislative

Document Type: Report

This report offers an update on the status of state government partnerships with faith-based social service providers throughout the nation.

In the summer of 2003, the Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy sponsored research to examine the nature and extent of state initiatives to increase the involvement of Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) in the delivery of social services. Researchers in all 50 states were asked to gather information on the policy environment for faith-based social service delivery at the state and local level. They were also asked to determine the extent to which changes have been adopted in law, regulation, and administrative processes to facilitate collaboration with FBOs as a result of the Charitable Choice provision of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, and to subsequent expansion of this provision to several additional federal programs.

More states have taken steps to expand partnership opportunities with faith-based service organizations over the past two years, according to a new study by the non-partisan Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy. But the report found that several factors appear to have restrained significant expansion of social services provided by religious organizations.