Under pressure from the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families has terminated California’s Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) sex education grant, citing its refusal to remove ‘radical gender ideology’ from its curriculum. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families, which provides federal funding to states for programs that support families, announced Thursday that it is cutting off support for the California PREP program, which aims to educate youth aged 10–19 on preventing teen pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted infections. The program, which had previously received nearly $6 million in federal funding, is set to lose up to $12.3 million in total, including funds not yet received, according to HHS records.
The cut came after a months-long investigation into the program’s materials by the Administration for Children and Families, which raised alarms over content it deemed inappropriate for federally funded sexual education. This included lessons on transgender identities and discussions of nonbinary genders, which the administration criticized as ‘delusional gender ideology’ and argued had no place in federally funded programs. California had been given a 60-day deadline to revise its curriculum, but the state declined, leading to the decision to terminate funding. In an official letter, Andrew Gradison, acting assistant secretary at the Administration for Children and Families, stated that ‘the Trump administration will not allow taxpayer dollars to be used to indoctrinate children.’ He warned that accountability will be taken against all states that use federal funds to teach what the administration called ‘delusional gender ideology.’
The PREP program, funded by federal grants, has historically aimed to assist at-risk youth and teenagers with reproductive health education, including those in foster care, homeless youth, and students with mental health or substance abuse issues. The program’s materials have been cited as including content that introduces students to the concept of transgenderism at a young age, a topic that has sparked controversy in conservative and Republican circles. The state’s Department of Public Health argued that the curriculum was medically accurate and relevant to the purposes outlined in the program’s authorizing statute, which includes topics such as the prevention of teen pregnancy and the promotion of contraception use among sexually active youth. However, the Administration for Children and Families disputed this, claiming the materials were outside the scope of the program’s legal mandate.
The decision to terminate the grant underscores the growing political divide over sex education and gender ideology in the U.S. Critics of the administration’s move argue that the program’s materials were appropriate and scientifically grounded. Others, however, view the curricula as promoting a radical redefinition of gender that they believe should not be taught in federally funded programs. California’s refusal to comply with the administration’s demands has led to the suspension of funding for the program, raising concerns about the impact on vulnerable populations who rely on the program’s services for healthcare access and education.
As the termination of the grant takes effect, questions remain about the long-term implications for California’s youth and the broader debate over the role of the federal government in shaping sexual education. The situation highlights the ongoing tensions between state and federal authority, as well as the contentious nature of discussions around gender identity and sexual education in public education. The Administration for Children and Families warned that other states could also face similar scrutiny if their programs are found to include content that the agency deems inappropriate or ideologically suspect.