State and Local Contracting for Social Services Under Charitable Choice

The Charitable Choice provisions of federal welfare reform law encourage states to involve community and faith-based organizations in providing welfare services to the needy. This study examined how state and local officials understand and apply these provisions. The authors note that the level of contracting with faith-based organizations was relatively high, with about 78 percent of state TANF agencies contracting with faith-based organizations in 2004. Many agencies reached out to prospective providers to encourage partnerships, but agency staff may need training in understanding and communicating charitable choice eligibility provisions to providers.