Across the United States, teen pregnancy rates have fallen to historic lows—the result of decades of investment in evidence based prevention, improved access to information and sustained support for young people. The progress is worth celebrating, but should not lead us to believe the work is finished.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services abruptly terminated 53 of the nation’s 67 teen pregnancy prevention grants that served thousands of young people across the country. There was no wind-down or warning. In New York alone, the cuts left 19,000 young people without services they had once relied on, including 1,200 young people served by Children’s Aid in New York City.