Abstract: Since the 1990s, federal policies have allowed public funds to support social
services provided through pervasively faith-based organizations (FBOs). Public and
academic discourse on these policies tends to be marked by limited data, narrow scope,
and the lack of an appropriate analytic framework to adequately consider and critique
the merits of the policies, as social workers are compelled to do. The goals of this study
are to identify, and preliminarily apply, an established policy analysis model appropriate
for use with FBO policy in order to progress discussion. Health service researchers
Aday, Begley, Lairson, and Balkrishnan (2004) provide a theoretically based policy
analysis framework, which is appropriate for this task and for use by social workers.
Their effectiveness, efficiency, and equity policy analysis model is presented along with
data and analysis intended to help frame and progress productive discussions on FBO
policies within and beyond the profession.