NC To Receive Abstinence Funds

Special Report - October 1, 2010
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) officially announced yesterday that it has awarded over $33 million in Title V grants for abstinence education to 30 states, including North Carolina. According to the DHHS website, North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction (DPI) will receive a total of $1,585,347 in Title V funding for abstinence education programs. The DHHS Administration for Children and Families is administering the Title V grant funding to states for programs that “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. As we reported earlier this week, North Carolina was one of 30 states to apply for Title V funding this year.

In addition to funding for programs that exclusively teach abstinence, DHHS also announced that it is awarding $155 million in teen pregnancy prevention grants to “states, non-profit organizations, school districts, universities, and others” under two funding programs, the newly-created Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) program, and the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP). According to DHHS, the TTP funding is intended for programs that “replicate evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs that have been shown to be effective through rigorous evaluation.” Abstinence-only programs were eligible to apply for the TTP funding, but according to the National Abstinence Education Association, only a few abstinence programs received TTP funding—the majority of the funding was awarded to contraceptive sex education programs. The PREP funds must be used for programs “that replicate evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention strategies and incorporate other adult responsibility subjects… [and] must incorporate lessons about both abstinence and contraception.”

In contrast to the $1.5 million the State received for abstinence-centered education programs, North Carolina was awarded over $4 million in TTP and PREP funding. Go here to see a list of the specific agencies and/or programs in North Carolina that received TTP and PREP funding for sex education programs, and how much they will receive (scroll down to find North Carolina).

“Now that the State has been awarded Title V funds, the big question is how with the Department of Public Instruction use these funds?” said Bill Brooks, president of the North Carolina Family Policy Council. “Federal law specifies that Title V funds only go to programs that exclusively teach abstinence from sexual activity until marriage, so the State must be held accountable to use the Title V funds as they are intended to be used. North Carolina law still requires the teaching of abstinence from sexual activity until marriage as the expected standard of behavior for school-age children, and Title V funds should be used to fund authentic abstinence education programs that help the State continue to carry out this critical mandate.”

Related articles:
NC Requests Abstinence Funds - September 27, 2010
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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