John Edwards Starts National Anti-Poverty Campaign

Head Start Can Make Hiring Decisions Based on Religion, Says U.S. House

SAN FRANCICSO, Oct 16 (OneWorld) - An amendment to the new funding bill for Head Start promotes discrimination on religious grounds and would deal a devastating blow to some one million low-income children and their parents who are dependent on the program, according to a [..] coalition of U.S. organizations.

Late last month, the Republican-led House of Representatives voted 231-184 in favor of the so-called School Readiness Act, which renews funding for the anti-poverty preschool program Head Start.

Wide bipartisan support for the bill's reauthorization through 2011 melted down after the attachment of politically charged amendment, introduced by Rep. Charles W. Boustany, Jr., (R-Louisiana), and Rep. John A. Boehner, (R-Ohio).

The added provision allows federally funded Head Start centers with religious affiliations to hire and fire workers and parent volunteers based on religious grounds. A similar bill approaching a Senate vote does not yet include any such amendment.

In 2004, Head Start served about 900,000 children on a budget of $6.775 billion.

"Teachers and staff working at Head Start programs housed in religious organizations could immediately be fired because of their religion," said the democratic values advocacy group People for the American Way.

"Tens of thousands of already at-risk children could lose their teachers. And Head Start could lose thousands of parent volunteers essential to the success of the program merely because those parents do not share the religious beliefs of the host federally funded religious organization," the group said in a statement on their Web site.

The "yes" vote marks the first time that the House of Representatives has voted to repeal civil rights protections in a floor amendment without committee hearings, debate, and testimony from experts.

Representative Boehner, chairman of the House education committee, explained the amendment, saying that he wants to "ensure faith-based organizations can compete for federal Head Start grants without surrendering their constitutionally protected right to take religion into account in their hiring practices."

President Bush also argued in support of the bill.

"Such provisions should be applied to all federally funded social service programs, so that faith-based organizations may operate on an equal level with secular organizations in competing to provide services that are funded by Head Start," said a White House statement, released just before the bill came before the House.

But hundreds of civil rights, labor, women, and religious rights advocacy groups say religious institutions already have equal access to funding as secular organizations, and disagree that the constitution protects the right to consider religion when hiring for federally funded programs.

Current law requires Head Start providers to comply with federal policies that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, political affiliation or beliefs, according to the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations.

"The Boehner Amendment would create an exception for religious organizations," the group said in a statement opposing the bill released after the House vote last month. [..]

Under current law, religious organizations and houses of worship, which administer more than five percent of all Head Start programs, are only allowed to consider religion as a hiring factor when using their own private money.

The original non-discrimination requirements were signed into law by President Richard Nixon back in 1972, and President Ronald Reagan approved the current anti-discrimination language in 1981. [..]

Head Start provides children from low-income families and under the age of five with academic preparation, socialization, nutrition, health, parental involvement, and family support, and currently serves about 60 percent of eligible 3-to-5-year-olds. It is not part of the federal welfare program.

Some 50 groups known as long-time supporters of the Head Start program have also come out against the bill, including the National Head Start Association (NHSA), the advocacy organization that supports and conducts trainings for Head Start providers. [..]

"Publicly funded programs ought to hire the best qualified applicant," says Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of [Americans United].

"Why on earth would we encourage discrimination in a tax-funded program? It's simply unacceptable," he said.

Lynn pointed out that since Head Start does not teach religion, there is no need for religious groups to engage in discriminatory hiring practices.

Many of the groups opposing the bill, such as the National Education Association (NEA), a 2.7-million-member organization, actually supported much of the legislation.

For example, groups like NEA were pleased that the School Readiness Act does not allow for block granting of Head Start funds to states.

Many were also happy that the bill would align Head Start curricula with K-12 education while preserving the non-academic services provided by the program.

The new bill forces Head Start centers to compete for grants as well, and addresses concerns over cases of financial waste in the program that have surfaced nationwide by requiring greater disclosure of how money is spent.

But many groups took issue with aspects of the Readiness Act besides the Boustany/Boehner amendment.

For example, the NEA voiced concern that the bill would require teachers to have higher academic degrees, without providing for a substantial increase in funding either for professional development or compensation. [..]

Charges that the introduction of the Boustany/Boehner amendment was politically motivated take credence from an unlikely source.

David Kuo, former Deputy Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, testified before the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources last June, stating: "[M]any members of the president's own party expressed equal parts apathy and antipathy towards this agenda. Money for the poor? Why, it will just get wasted, they said. We just need to cut the funds and let the private sector take over. We don't need more funds, all we really need to do is make sure that we have a huge political fight over religious charities' right to hire and fire based on their own faith. That way, as I have heard time and time again, Republicans will be seen as fighting for religions and Democrats will be seen as fighting against it."

Who is John Edwards????