Lost in the bigger stories about the Donald Trump administration is the tidal wave of federal agency changes reflecting seismic shifts in policy. For example, the decision to end funding for teen pregnancy prevention programs.
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, a believer in abstinence-only sex education, has cut off grants two years early. It will save $200 million. It will likely lead to more teen pregnancies. The teen pregnancy rate has been dropping sharply. Nobody claims it’s all the result of the government-funded programs, but they certainly didn’t hurt.
Arkansas receives federal funds for a variety of family planning and pregnancy prevention programs, but isn’t currently on the list of recipients of this particular categorical aid. The money includes support for abstinence-only education programs, which seem likely to be in line for more support in the Trump era.