NC Requests Abstinence Funds

Special Report - September 27, 2010
North Carolina is one of 30 states that submitted preliminary applications to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) last month for Title V abstinence education funding, according to a report from the National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA). As we previously reported, the DHHS Administration for Children and Families/Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) is overseeing Title V—also known as the State Abstinence Education Grant Program—which provides states with federal funding for programs that exclusively teach abstinence. The purpose of the Title V program, according to the DHHS, is “to support decisions to abstain from sexual activity until marriage by providing abstinence education as defined by Section 510 (b) (2) of the Social Security Act with a focus on those groups that are most likely to bear children out-of-wedlock.” The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 restored a total of $250 million in federal funding over the next five years for abstinence education programs, giving states access to $50 million per year through the Title V program.

States had until August 30 of this year to submit a preliminary application to the FYSB, expressing their desire to apply for the Title V funds. The NAEA’s “State-by-state Scorecard” includes a list of all states and whether or not they submitted applications for the Title V funding. North Carolina is one of 30 states that submitted a Title V application to the government. According to the NAEA, North Carolina could receive more than $1.5 million in federal funds for abstinence education in 2010 alone.

In August, the North Carolina Family Policy Council sent a letter to Governor Beverly Perdue and State Superintendent June Atkinson, urging them to submit North Carolina’s application for the Title V abstinence education funding. “Since North Carolina began to focus on abstinence education, teen pregnancy rates have declined by 35.8 percent, abortion rates have dropped 53.7 percent, and the rates of some of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases have declined by more than 50 percent,” the letter pointed out. “Abstinence education clearly works well, and more resources need to be devoted to good curricula and well-trained educators.”

North Carolina Family Policy Council President, Bill Brooks, applauded state leaders for submitting North Carolina’s application for Title V abstinence education funds. “Governor Perdue and Dr. Atkinson deserve our thanks for putting the health of young people first and acknowledging the importance of the abstinence message to sex education in North Carolina,” said Brooks. “State law still mandates that students be taught that abstinence from sexual activity until marriage is the expected standard of behavior for all school-aged children, and Title V abstinence education funding will help schools carry out this critical mandate.”

Related articles:
NC Sex Education Requirements - August 16, 2010
Abstinence Funds Available - August 3, 2010
Abstinence Funding Returns - May 28, 2010
Some Abstinence Funding Restored - March 30, 2010
Controversial Curriculum Changes - February 8, 2010
The Healthy Youth Act: What It Means For Sex Education - FNC Oct/Nov 2009
New Sex Ed Law Implementation Underway - September 3, 2009

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