Connecticut Leaders Condemn $68 Million Teen Pregnancy Grant Cuts as State Readies $500 Million Backstop
Updated
Updated · CT News Junkie · Aug 19
Connecticut Leaders Condemn $68 Million Teen Pregnancy Grant Cuts as State Readies $500 Million Backstop
1 articles · Updated · CT News Junkie · Aug 19
Summary
$68 million in federal teen pregnancy prevention funding was cut more than two years early, ending 53 of 67 active grants and prompting Connecticut officials and advocates to warn of harm to youth services.
Hartford leaders said the evidence-based programs have helped drive teen pregnancy rates down, citing CDC data showing women in their 40s gave birth to more babies than teenagers for the first time.
Susan Bysiewicz said Connecticut could use its $500 million Emergency State Response Fund to keep programs running, while Richard Blumenthal said a court challenge could again restore the money after a similar 2017 attempt was overturned.
Advocates said the canceled grants support far more than pregnancy prevention—covering consent, unhealthy relationships, contraception and confidential care—and warned the cuts will also block new programs addressing AI, social media and teen mental health.
The dispute also reflects a policy shift: the Trump administration wants replacement grants centered on abstinence-only and “restorative reproduction,” approaches critics said are non-medical and misaligned with prevention.