Parents have a fundamental right to guide the upbringing of their children, and government has an obligation to respect that right. The nonpublic school community in the United States provides parents with important options for the education of their children. Faith-based and nonsectarian private schools, along with a growing number of children who are homeschooled, account for approximately 13 percent of the school-age population in grades K-12. This paper discusses the following topics: (1) the 12 major programs that require the equitable participation of students and teachers in private schools under the "No Child Left Behind Act" ("NCLB"); (2) the eligibility of faith-based and community organizations to apply directly for grants under certain programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education; (3) the eligibility of community and other public and private institutions, including faith-based organizations and private schools to be providers of supplemental educational services (SES) for eligible students; (4) "NCLB's" provisions that contain important protections for private and home schools; (5) the amendments made by "The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004" ("IDEA") to the IDEA provisions that address benefits and services to students with disabilities who are placed by their parents in private schools; and (6) the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP). (Contains 2 footnotes.)