The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services terminated 53 of 67 active Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program grants on June 26, cutting off $68 million in federal funding across more than two dozen states — including a Philadelphia-based program serving more than 1,100 teenagers.
Why It Matters
The cancellations affect universities, community health organizations, city and state health departments, and Planned Parenthood affiliates in states including Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Texas, and West Virginia. In Pennsylvania, the terminations directly eliminate adolescent health services funded for years through federal appropriations.
AccessMatters, a Philadelphia organization, received a termination notice for its $1.2 million grant effective immediately. The group’s Adolescent Health Initiative provides sexual and reproductive health programs to teens between ages 13 and 19.
“This is devastating for the youth that we serve. It also impacts us as an organization, our staff, and it impacts the partners that we had who supported us in implementing this program,” said Ayana Bradshaw of AccessMatters.
What Happened
HHS sent termination letters to grantees citing a misalignment with current agency priorities. The letters stated that the funded programs “normalize or promote sexual activity for minors” — language that signals a deliberate policy shift rather than a budget-driven reduction.
The move follows years of tension between the program and Republican administrations. During President Trump’s first term in 2017, HHS ended grants for more than 80 recipients two years before those grants were scheduled to expire. The legal group Democracy Forward sued on behalf of affected grantees and ultimately secured a permanent injunction after courts determined the administration’s action violated agency regulations.
The Trump administration had flagged the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program for elimination in its 2025 budget request, and that intent was reflected in the final 2026 appropriations legislation.
By the Numbers
- 53 of 67 program grants canceled
- $68 million in total grant value terminated
- More than two dozen states affected nationwide
- $1.2 million — AccessMatters’ canceled Philadelphia grant
- 1,100-plus teens served annually by AccessMatters’ program
- 72% decline in the U.S. teen birth rate since 2007, according to CDC data
Zoom Out
The federal Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program has operated since 2010 and has long been a point of contention in debates over how the government should approach adolescent health education. Supporters credit evidence-based curriculum developed under the program with contributing to the sharp decline in teen birth rates over the past two decades. Critics argue federal dollars should not fund programs that they say encourage minors to be sexually active.
HHS announced two replacement grant programs this week. The first, titled “Replicating Effective Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs,” has $63.4 million available. A second, focused on rigorous impact evaluation of programs to prevent teen pregnancy and achieve optimal health, offers $8.3 million. The combined replacement funding is less than the $68 million eliminated, and the programmatic emphasis differs from the canceled grants.
Pennsylvania has faced other pressures on its healthcare infrastructure in recent months. A recent report found that hospital pricing data in the state remains difficult for consumers to access despite federal transparency requirements, and state officials have separately pursued new frontline healthcare workers as a strategy to extend services into rural communities.
What’s Next
Tara Mancini, who works with affected grantees, anticipates the cancellations will be challenged in court — a path that mirrors what happened in 2017, when litigation ultimately reversed the grant terminations. Whether courts apply the same reasoning to the current round of cuts remains to be seen, as the administration may argue the 2026 appropriations process provides different legal grounding for the decision.
Organizations like AccessMatters face immediate funding gaps with no grace period, given that the termination letters took effect the same day they were issued. Staff reductions and disruption to partner organizations are expected as groups determine how to respond.