A new study concludes that Bush administration efforts to expand faith-based contracting via targeted initiatives are changing the nature of social services supported directly with federal funds far more than has legislation passed in the mid-1990s. The study is the first in-depth look at the major block grant programs in the Department of Health and Human Services with legislated Charitable Choice provisions, as well as at discretionary programs funded under the Compassion Capital Fund (CCF). The study, from the nonpartisan Urban Institute, also finds that many state and local policies lack effective oversight of such dimensions as religious content and program participants' ability to choose alternatives to faith-based service providers. Formal monitoring of faith-based programs receiving federal funds was generally restricted to financial audits, according to the report, which noted that "attention to the faith content of programs was likely to be slight or serendipitous." Read the REPORT