Texas Freedom Network

Texas has tried faith-based social programs for five years. They are on the agenda to roll out nationally.

After five years of aggressively implementing the Bush-led Faith-Based Initiative in Texas, positive results have proven impossible to document or measure. Evidence points instead to a system that is unregulated, prone to favoritism and co-mingling of funds, and even dangerous to the very people it is supposed to serve.

The Texas record shows that:

Loosening regulations over faith-based providers has not served the faith community at large, but has instead provided a refuge for facilities with a history of regulatory violations, a theological objection to state oversight and a higher rate of abuse and neglect.

Loosening regulations over faith-based providers has endangered people in need and lowered standards of client health, safety and quality of care in Texas.

Faith-based deregulation has allowed physical diseases to go medically untreated.

Regulatory changes have resulted in preferential treatment of faith-based providers in government contracting opportunities.

Taxpayer funds have been co-mingled with church funds and spent on overtly religious activities.

Clients have been ordered by the courts to attend unlicensed faith-based providers.