Congress appropriated $101 million in funding for teen pregnancy prevention programs, which President Trump signed into law as part of a budget bill. However, with less than a week remaining in the 2026 fiscal year, approximately $100 million of the allocated funds had not been distributed, with the Department of Health and Human Services having spent only about $500,000 of its obligated grants to organizations serving teens.
Approximately 50 nonprofits, universities, and health departments experienced abrupt cancellations of their grants in June, with many organizations having been in the third year of five-year funding cycles. Bridgercare, a nonprofit in Bozeman, Montana, was among the affected organizations. Executive director Stephanie McDowell stated the organization had received no warning and faces significant operational challenges, including potential staff layoffs and reduced educational services across 21 counties. Similarly, EyesOpenIowa in Des Moines cancelled programs due to the cuts, creating community trust issues and concerns about service continuity.
The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, established in 2010, has faced ongoing scrutiny from the Trump administration and conservative groups. After the grant cancellations, HHS issued a new funding opportunity emphasizing abstinence-only education. A federal judge subsequently ruled this approach likely constitutes arbitrary and capricious action, noting the funding notice cited research papers that do not exist, conflicting with congressional requirements for evidence-based programs.
Democratic lawmakers, including 92 House and Senate members, sent a letter to HHS arguing that withholding funds deprives teens of vital resources and threatens decades of progress in reducing teen pregnancy. The letter emphasized that Congress specifically allocated the funds with clear intent to support evidence-based education addressing teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other health risks.
The possibility exists for funding reinstatement through either HHS decision or federal court action challenging the terminations. A federal judge’s decision on whether to reinstate the terminated grants was expected soon following the ruling against the new abstinence-only requirements. The U.S. teen pregnancy rate has declined to record lows in recent years.
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