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Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

Centers for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

The Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, and Labor operate a number of programs to serve Americans in need.

Each of these agencies has a Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. The Centers' job is to work with their agencies to implement President Bush's faith-based and community initiative.

Use the following links to learn more about each Department and its Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

Department of Education

Department of Health and Human Services

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Department of Justice

Department of Labor

U.S. Department of Education

Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

What is the mission of the Department of Education?

Under the leadership of Secretary Rod Paige, the Department's mission is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence for all Americans.

How does the Department accomplish its mission?

The Department provides national leadership and partnerships to address critical issues in American education, and it delivers approximately $13 billion per year to help schools meet the most pressing needs of their students. In addition, it conducts and monitors educational research and shares the latest findings and information with parents, teachers, school board members, policy makers, and the general public. It also helps families pay for college, prepares students for work in a changing economy, and ensures nondiscrimination by recipients of Federal education funds.

An important priority for the Department is the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which President Bush signed into law in January 2002. This new law fundamentally changes the Federal government's role in elementary and secondary school education by requiring America's schools to be accountable for positive results in student achievement. The Act contains the President's four basic education reform principles: stronger accountability for results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents, and an emphasis on proven teaching methods.

The Department of Education is organized into eight program offices:

 

  1. The Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students (www.ed.gov/offices/OELA/) administers programs designed to help students become proficient in English and meet challenging State academic and achievement standards.
  2. The Office for Civil Rights (www.ed.gov/offices/OCR/) enforces Federal statutes that prohibit discrimination in educational programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance.
  3. The Office of Educational Research and Improvement (www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/) supports research and demonstration projects and provides technical assistance to those working to improve education.
  4. The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/) provides support to State and local education agencies for the maintenance and improvement of both public and private preschool, elementary, and secondary education. OESE administers programs designed to advance the academic opportunities of the nation's neediest children.
  5. The Office of Postsecondary Education (www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/) formulates Federal postsecondary education policy and provides assistance to postsecondary education institutions.
  6. The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/) supports programs that educate children with special needs and provide rehabilitative services for youths and adults with disabilities. It also conducts research to improve the lives of individuals of all ages with disabilities.
  7. The Office of Federal Student Aid (www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/) administers the systems and products involved in providing millions of students pursuing postsecondary education with financial aid.
  8. The Office of Vocational and Adult Education (www.ed.gov/offices/OVAE/) supports a wide range of programs and activities that prepare people for employment and that provide adults with basic skills necessary to obtain a high school diploma or the equivalent.

What role is there for faith-based and community organizations at the Department of Education?

Faith-based and community organizations are eligible to apply directly to the Department of Education for a number grants. Most of these grants are administered by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.

For example, under the Safe and Drug Free Schools program, faith-based and community organizations can provide mentoring services to children to boost academic achievement and reduce drop-out rates. Under the Early Reading First program, faith-based and community organizations also can compete for funds to enhance the early language, cognitive, and early reading development of preschool age children, particularly those from low-income families. Faith-based and community groups may also partner with local schools in programs such as the Even Start Family Literacy Program, which integrates literacy training for low-income children and parents.

In addition, with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, the Department has placed a special emphasis on the important role that faith-based organizations and leaders play in America's communities. For instance, the new Act has provided substantial funding for "supplemental services," which are provided by outside organizations that tutor children in subjects in which they need extra help. http://www.nclb.gov/parents/supplementalservices/index.html Faith-based and community groups should review the Department.s explanation of this program and contact their State education agencies to learn how to become a certified provider of these supplemental services. The act also increases funding for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which provide after-school tutoring and mentoring. Faith-based and community organizations should contact their State education agencies to learn how to apply to provide services in conjunction with their local 21st Century Community Learning Center.

Even if they choose not to apply for Federal educational funds, community leaders can get involved by calling upon local officials to implement the No Child Left Behind Act, and they can encourage their local officials to take advantage of all the opportunities the Act offers. In addition, they can inform and educate parents about the new opportunities available for their children.

For more information, visit the Department's Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

 

 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

What is the mission of the Department of Health and Human Services?

Under the leadership of Secretary Tommy Thompson, the Department's mission is to protect the health of all Americans and to provide essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.

How does the Department accomplish its mission?

The largest grant-making agency in the Federal government, the Department of Health and Human Services operates some 300 programs and provides around 60,000 grants per year. These programs cover a wide spectrum of activities, including medical and social science research, preventing outbreak of infectious disease, assuring food and drug safety, Medicare and Medicaid, financial assistance for low-income families, Head Start, substance abuse treatment and prevention, and services for older Americans. The Department's budget in fiscal year 2002 is $460 billion.

Many HHS programs are household words, like Medicare and Medicaid. Other programs are less well-known, but reach America's citizens on an important personal level. For instance, HHS is involved when a child is vaccinated against disease, when a poor family receives income assistance or medical care, or when an absent parent contributes money that is owed for child support.

The Department is organized into twelve operating divisions. The divisions that are of the most interest to faith-based and community organizations include:

  1. Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services
  2. (OS) (http://www.hhs.gov/agencies/os.html) advises the President on health, welfare, and income security plans, policies, and programs of the Federal government.
  3. Administration for Children and Families
  4. (ACF) (http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/) is responsible for some 60 programs which provide services and assistance to needy children and families, administers the new State-Federal welfare program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), administers the national child support enforcement system and the Head Start program, provides funds to assist low-income families in paying for child care, and supports State programs to provide for foster care and adoption assistance.
  5. Administration on Aging
  6. (AOA) (http://www.aoa.gov/) supports a nationwide aging network, providing services to the elderly, especially to enable them to remain independent. AOA supports some 240 million meals for the elderly each year, including home-delivered "Meals on Wheels," helps provide transportation and at-home services, supports ombudsman services for the elderly, and provides policy leadership on aging issues.
  7. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
  8. (AHRQ) (http://www.ahrq.gov/) supports research designed to improve the outcomes and quality of health care, reduce its costs, address patient safety and medical errors, and broaden access to effective services. The research sponsored, conducted, and disseminated by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provides information that helps people make better decisions about health care.
  9. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
  10. (CMS) (http://www.hcfa.gov/), which was formerly the Health Care Financing Administration, administers nursing home coverage for the low-income elderly and the Medicare and Medicaid programs, which provide health care to America's aged and indigent populations -- nearly one in every four Americans, including nearly 18 million children. CMS also administers the new Children's Health Insurance Program through approved State plans that cover more than 2.2 million children.
  11. Health Resources and Services Administration
  12. (HRSA) (http://www.hrsa.gov/) works to provide health resources for medically underserved populations. HRSA supports a nationwide network of 643 community and migrant health centers, and 144 primary care programs for the homeless and residents of public housing, serving a total of 8.1 million Americans each year. HRSA also works to build the health care workforce, maintains the National Health Service Corps, oversees the nation's organ transplantation system, works to decrease infant mortality and improve child health, and provides services to people with AIDS through the Ryan White CARE Act programs.
  13. Indian Health Service
  14. (IHS) (http://www.ihs.gov/) supports a network of 37 hospitals, 60 health centers, 3 school health centers, 46 health stations and 34 urban Indian health centers to provide services to nearly 1.5 million American Indians and Alaska Natives of 557 Federally recognized tribes.
  15. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
  16. (SAMHSA) (http://www.samhsa.gov/) is the Federal agency charged with improving the quality and availability of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitative services in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illnesses.

 

What role is there for faith-based and community organizations at the Department of Health and Human Services?

Faith-based and community organizations have a history of providing a variety of services funded under HHS programs. These organizations are eligible to apply for most grants open to non-profit organizations. Most of the opportunities of interest to grassroots organizations are administered by the Administration for Children and Families, the Administration on Aging, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The Charitable Choice laws, which apply to three HHS programs, reflect HHS.s longstanding policy of open and equal access to funding opportunities for faith-based and community organizations. The programs to which the Charitable Choice laws apply are (1) Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) (HHS's chief means for providing assistance and work opportunities to families in need); (2) programs operated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration; and (3) the Community Services Block Grant program. Together, these programs make approximately $20 billion available for serving America's neediest families.

HHS is also responsible for administering the Compassion Capital Fund programs, which are designed to assist faith-based and community organizations do a better job of providing the social services. This year, under the Compassion Capital Fund demonstration program, nearly $25 million will be made available to 15-25 intermediary organizations that will provide technical assistance and capacity-building support to faith-based and community organizations. Intermediary organizations that receive funding will also issue sub-awards to faith-based and community organizations to support start-up costs, operations, and expansion of programs. Awards for the first year of this program will be announced in early October. Other Compassion Capital Funds will be used to establish a National Resource Center and to support research activities. Faith-based and community organizations interested in getting involved should be sure and check the Department's website for more information.

For more information, visit the Department's Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

 

 

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

What is the mission of the Department of Housing and Urban Development?

Under the leadership of Secretary Mel Martinez, HUD strives to create decent, safe, and sanitary home and living environments for all Americans. HUD works to increase opportunities for homeownership, provides housing assistance for low-income Americans, and helps the homeless, the elderly, people with disabilities, and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development and enforces the nation's fair housing laws.

How does the Department accomplish its mission?

HUD works through its five principal operating units to achieve its mission:
  1. The Office of Housing (http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/hsgabout.cfm) administers the Federal Housing Administration; FHA is a major insurer of home mortgages.
  2. The Office of Community Planning and Development (http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/about/cpd_programs.cfm) administers programs promoting community development, such as the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership programs. CPD also manages more than $1 billion in homeless assistance annually as well as housing assistance and support services for individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS.
  3. The Office of Public and Indian Housing (http://www.hud.gov/progdesc/pihindx.cfm) provides funding and oversight for local public housing agencies, which in turn operate the nation's public housing facilities.
  4. The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (http://www.hud.gov/progdesc/fheoindx.cfm) enforces the nation.s laws against discrimination in housing.
  5. The Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) (http://www.hud.gov/progdesc/mbs-ms.cfm) securitizes and markets FHA-backed mortgages.

 

What role is there for faith-based and community organizations at the Department of Housing and Urban Development?

Faith-based and community organizations have a long history of partnership with HUD. They have been actively involved in constructing affordable housing for the elderly and disabled, providing shelter for the homeless, and promoting homeownership and community development. Faith-based and community organizations provide support and services to residents of public housing.

Many of the programs for which faith-based and community organizations are eligible are operated by the Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD). CPD operates the Continuum of Care, HUD's main program for combating homelessness, as well as the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which funds a wide range of community development activity. CDBG funds are made available by local and State officials. Funding from CPD is also available for rural housing development, youth construction programs, and technical assistance. To find the nearest CDBG contact who can answer any questions you have, click here.

Many faith-based and community organizations have sponsored the construction of Section 202 Housing for the Elderly, a program in HUD's Office of Housing. This Office also runs HUD Homes for Nonprofits, which makes foreclosed houses available to nonprofit organizations at discounted rates, and a Housing Counseling Program for nonprofit organizations to help families move toward homeownership.

Faith-based and community organizations can also apply to programs run by HUD's Office of Public and Indian Housing. Supportive services to residents of public housing are funded, for example, by your local Public Housing Authority under HUD's HOPE VI program, which revitalizes public housing complexes. The Office of Public and Indian Housing also runs the Resident Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) program, which funds supportive services to residents of public housing to assist them in becoming economically self-sufficient. Applications for the ROSS program are made directly to the Office of Public and Indian Housing.

For more information, visit the Department's Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

 

 

U.S. Department of Justice

Task Force for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

What is the mission of the Department of Justice?

Under the leadership of Attorney General John Ashcroft, the Department of Justice combats terrorism and crime and enforces the criminal and civil laws of the United States. As part of these activities, the Department funds a number of programs to bring relief to those who need it most, including youth without direction, ex-offenders who are re-entering society, children of prisoners, and victims of crime.

 

How does the Department accomplish its mission?

The Department is made up of 39 separate component divisions, including the FBI, the Bureau of Prisons, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Office of Justice Programs, the United States Attorneys, and many more. These divisions work to prevent, investigate, and prosecute crime and terrorism. They protect the rights and interests of American citizens by enforcing civil rights laws, civil laws, tax laws, antitrust laws, environmental laws, and immigration and naturalization laws.

What role is there for faith-based and community organizations at the Department of Justice?

Faith-based organizations have a significant role to play in the Department's programs, particularly in the areas of juvenile delinquency, prisoners and their families, victims of crime, domestic violence, and drug-related issues.

Most of the programs of interest to faith-based and community organizations are administered through the Office of Justice Programs. OJP coordinates activity among five bureaus and six program offices within OJP. Of these, the following are especially likely to offer funding opportunities for which faith-based and community organizations are eligible:

 

  1. Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/) provides leadership and assistance in support of local criminal justice strategies to achieve safe communities. Its overall goals are to reduce and prevent crime, violence, and drug abuse, and to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system.
  2. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) (http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/) provides national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and victimization.
  3. Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/)oversees diverse programs that assist victims of crime.
  4. Violence Against Women Office (VAWO) (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo/) oversees policies and grant programs aimed at preventing and reducing violence against women.
  5. Drug Courts Program Office (DCPO) (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/dcpo/) administers the drug court grant program and provides financial and technical assistance, training, related programmatic guidance, and leadership to drug court programs.
  6. Executive Office for Weed and Seed (EOWS) (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/) is an innovative and comprehensive multi-agency approach to law enforcement, crime prevention, and community revitalization, which extensively incorporates community-based initiatives.

To regularly check current funding opportunities at the Office of Justice Programs, visit http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/fundopps.htm.

In addition to these Office of Justice Program bureaus and program offices, funding opportunities exist within the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), which administers the nation's immigration laws, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), which is responsible for the custody and care of approximately 162,000 Federal offenders as well as the District of Columbia felon inmate population.

For more information, visit the Department's Task Force for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

 

U.S. Department of Labor

Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

What is the mission of the Department of Labor?

Under the leadership of Secretary Elaine Chao, the Department is committed to the welfare of the United State's job seekers, wage earners, and retirees.

 

How does the Department accomplish its mission?

The Department improves working conditions, advances opportunities for profitable employment, protects retirement and health care benefits, and helps employers find workers. The Department also tracks changes in employment, prices, and other national economic measurements.

The Department administers a variety of Federal labor laws, including those that guarantee workers' rights to safe and healthful working conditions, a minimum hourly wage and overtime pay, freedom from employment discrimination, and unemployment insurance.

The following eight agencies are essential components to fulfilling the Department's mission:

  1. Employment and Training Administration (http://www.doleta.gov/)assists U.S. workers in gaining access to the information and services they need to find and hold good jobs at decent wages, and it helps U.S. businesses secure skilled workers and the training resources they need to compete successfully in a global economy. ETA oversees the nation.s network of One-Stop Career Centers and State employment center offices that help job-seekers prepare for and find suitable jobs with employers who need skilled workers.
  2. Employment Standards Administration (http://www.dol.gov/esa/) administers and enforces laws governing legally mandated wages and working conditions.
  3. Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) (http://www.dol.gov/ilab/) assists in formulating international economic, trade, and immigration policies affecting American workers.
  4. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) (http://www.msha.gov/) enforces compliance with mandatory safety and health standards as a means to minimize accidents and health hazards, as well as to promote safety and health conditions in the nation's mines.
  5. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (http://www.osha.gov/index.html) works to save lives, prevent injuries, and protect the health of America's workers by establishing and enforcing protective standards and by reaching out to employers and employees through technical assistance and consultation programs.
  6. Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration (PWBA) (http://www.dol.gov/pwba/) protects the integrity of pensions, health plans, and other employee benefits for more than 200 million people.
  7. Veterans' Employment and Training Services (VETS) (http://www.dol.gov/vets/) helps veterans, reservists, and National Guard members secure employment, and it oversees their employment rights and benefits.
  8. Women's Bureau (WB) (http://www.dol.gov/wb/) protects the interests of working women. It informs women and the general public about women's work rights and employment issues, and it advocates on their behalf.

What role is there for faith-based and community organizations at the Department of Labor?

By getting involved with the nation's "One-Stop" system, faith-based and community organizations can help connect people in their communities to their local employment networks and become part of these networks. Each State has established a number of "One-Stop Career Centers" in key areas. These One-Stop Career Centers put all employment and training services in one place, integrating programs such as unemployment insurance, State job services, public assistance, and training initiatives. One-Stop customers can find out about job vacancies, receive career counseling, and training in job search skills.

Local Workforce Investment Boards, which are appointed by mayors or other elected local officials, are responsible for ensuring a comprehensive, high quality One-Stop delivery service system in their workforce areas. These Boards, which include representatives from the business, education, and labor communities, and State workforce agencies distribute about eighty-five percent of Federal job training dollars. The Department is working to strengthen the connection between grassroots groups and the local Workforce Investment Boards.

The Department awarded $17.5 million to 12 States and 29 organizations in July 2002. These funds are being used to provide technical assistance and improve the connection between grassroots faith-based and community organizations and the nation's One-Stop Career System. To check whether your State or an organization in your area received funding, click here.

Grassroots organizations can also get connected to the Department's mission by familiarizing themselves with their local boards and agencies by clicking here.

For more information, visit the Department's Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.