The Administration for Children and Families, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, just released the funding opportunity announcements for the State Personal Responsibility Education Program and the Title V State Abstinence Education Grant Program. Links to these announcements are included in the reference list.
The State Personal Responsibility Education Program provides states with $55 million a year for five years for evidence-based teen pregnancy, HIV and STI prevention programs that will also address additional adulthood preparation subjects. The State Abstinence Education Grant Program provides $50 million a year to support programs that promote abstinence only until marriage. This program requires that states match the federal funding.
My money would be on the State Personal Responsibility Education Program. Here's why: There's strong research that shows that effective teen pregnancy, HIV and STI prevention programs provide young people with age-appropriate information about both abstinence and contraception. Comprehensive sex education programs help young people gain the knowledge and skills they need to take personal responsibility for their reproductive and sexual health. In other words, young people with accurate information often choose not to have sex or, if they choose to have sex, they take precautions to prevent pregnancy and protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases. Abstinence-only programs, on the other hand, have been proven in extensive research to be ineffective.
States have until August 30, 2010, to indicate an interest in applying for these grants. The deadline for submitting an application for the State Abstinence Education Program is December 10, 2010. The deadline for the State Personal Responsibility Education Program is February 1, 2011.
Which educational program would you like to see your state pursue? And why?
blog index References State Personal Responsibility Education Program. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/foa/view/HHS-2010-ACF-ACYF-PREP-0125. Accessed Aug. 17, 2010.Title V State Abstinence Education Grant Program. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/foa/view/HHS-2010-ACF-ACYF-AEGP-0123. Accessed Aug. 17, 2010.
