Most states limit `Charitable Choice'

Christian Century, Oct 18, 2000 by Rns

Despite changes in federal laws, almost 40 states have not changed their policies that limit or prevent faith-based groups from providing welfare services to the poor, according to a report by the Center for Public Justice. The center gave four states--Texas, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin--high marks for initiatives to implement "charitable choice" guidelines that permit religious groups to compete on an equal basis with other groups to provide publicly funded social service programs.

In a "national report card," the group, based in Annapolis, Maryland, gave Fs to 40 entities--states, territories and the District of Columbia--for not changing policies in light of the guidelines passed by Congress in 1996. A national survey found that some states were ignorant of the new rules and mistakenly thought the mandatory guidelines were optional.

"A few states are seizing the opportunities provided by charitable choice to build new relationships with effective faith-based groups," said Stanley Carlson-Thies, director of social policy studies at the center. "The scandal is that more than four years after Congress first adopted charitable choice, most states have not fully removed the barriers as the law requires."

Among the 12 states that were given a passing grade by the center for implementing the guidelines are Arizona, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia.