NCJW Declares -- Head Start Vote Deals a Blow to Civil Rights
September 26, 2005, New York NY -- Commenting on the House of Representatives passage of a Head Start reauthorization bill containing a religious discrimination provision, National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) President Phyllis Snyder issued the following statement:
"By a narrow margin, members of the House of Representatives have approved an amendment to allow federally funded faith-based Head Start providers to discriminate on the basis of religion in hiring. The action threatens the very principle of equality upon which Head Start was founded -- overturning critical civil rights protections that today safeguard nearly 200,000 Head Start teachers and over 1.4 million parent volunteers.
"The Head Start early childhood education program was initiated in the wake of the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. It was one of several federal programs intended to break the cycle of poverty and overcome inequities faced by low-income families, many of whom were minorities impacted by discrimination on the basis of race. In the 40 years since, Head Start has been highly successful, making good on its vital promise.
"The recent house vote is nothing less than a blow to civil rights and the very spirit of this important program. NCJW believes that taxpayer dollars should never be used to fund religious discrimination. We look to the Senate to protect our civil rights by repudiating this provision and passing a bill that maintains the integrity of the Head Start program."
NCJW is a volunteer organization, inspired by Jewish values, that works to improve the quality of life for women, children, and families and to ensure individual rights and freedoms for all through its network of 90,000 members, supporters, and volunteers nationwide.
Contact:
Rebecca Cole
212 645 4048 x182; rcole@ncjw.org