The need has not changed.

Still teaching. Still reaching. Still committed to Healthy Futures.

Every day in Texas, young people face questions about relationships, consent, mental health, sexually transmitted infections, and their future. Many don’t know where to turn for accurate answers.

For thousands of them, Healthy Futures of Texas has been that trusted resource.

Today, that work is at risk—not because the need has disappeared, but because the federal funding that made it possible was ended two years early.

What the termination of Teen Pregnancy Prevention funding means for Texas and why it matters.

On June 26, Healthy Futures of Texas received notice that our federal Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) grant would be terminated two years before its scheduled completion. Hear from our CEO in this NPR article, “Trump administration abruptly cancels grants for teen pregnancy prevention.”

Like 52 other organizations across the country, including every Teen Pregnancy Prevention grantee in Texas, Healthy Futures lost federal funding that supported a significant portion of our adolescent and parents’ health education work. While this funding loss has significantly affected our capacity, our mission and commitment to serving young Texans remain unchanged.

This decision affects much more than funding.

It affects young people, families, educators, healthcare providers, and communities that continue to rely on evidence-based adolescent health education.

While the funding has changed, the need has not.

Below are answers to the questions we’ve heard most often from partners, supporters, educators, and community members.

What happened?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services terminated 53 of the nation’s 67 Teen Pregnancy Prevention grants before the end of their five-year funding period.

Healthy Futures of Texas received notice on June 26 that our grant would end two years earlier than expected. Every Texas organization receiving Teen Pregnancy Prevention funding was among the 53 grantees affected nationwide.

The termination immediately ended federal support for our evidence-based adolescent health education programs serving communities across San Antonio, Dallas, and the Rio Grande Valley.  

Why does this matter?

Because the need has not changed.

Texas continues to face significant adolescent health challenges.

• Texas has the eighth-highest teen birth rate in the nation, with a rate nearly 50 percent higher than the national average.
• Every 26 minutes, a baby is born to a Texas teen mother.
• In 2023, Texas teens saw increases in gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV.

Young people also face growing challenges related to healthy relationships, mental health, and access to trusted health information. Without medically accurate, evidence-based education, many young people turn to social media, peers, or artificial intelligence for answers, where information may be incomplete or inaccurate.

These realities make evidence-based adolescent health education as important as ever.  

What did this funding make possible?

For Healthy Futures of Texas, this funding supported programs that reached thousands of young people and the adults who support them.

Over the past three years, Healthy Futures:

• Reached more than 58,000 youth, families, and community members.
• Trained more than 7,800 youth-serving professionals.
• Partnered with more than 25 organizations across schools, juvenile justice programs, homeless services, faith communities, and higher education.
• Delivered evidence-based, medically accurate, and age-appropriate education in communities with some of the greatest need across Texas.  

Learn more in our 2025 Impact Report. 

Did  Healthy Futures comply with the new federal requirements?

Yes.

Following new federal directives issued last year, Healthy Futures spent months adapting programs and curricula to comply with updated federal requirements.

Those revised materials underwent a rigorous federal review process and were approved before the grant was terminated.

This extensive review required significant time and effort to ensure every program met the updated expectations.  

If teen pregnancy has declined, why are these programs still needed?

This is one of the questions we hear most often.

Progress does not mean the work is finished.

Programs like the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program have helped reduce Texas’ teen birth rate by more than 80 percent over the past 15 years. That is one of the state’s greatest public health success stories.

But teen pregnancy rates in Texas remain well above the national average, sexually transmitted infections among youth continue to rise, and many young people still lack access to reliable, medically accurate health information. Without trusted sources, many turn to friends, social media, internet searches, or AI tools to answer some of the most important questions about their health and relationships.

The progress we’ve made demonstrates that these programs work. It’s not a reason to stop investing in them—it’s a reason to continue.  

What do these programs actually teach?

These programs are about much more than preventing pregnancy. They help young people develop healthy relationships, build communication skills, strengthen decision-making skills, recognize unhealthy behaviors, connect with trusted adults, and access reliable health information.

Research shows that approximately one in three Texas students will experience some form of relationship abuse before graduating from high school. Equipping young people with the knowledge and skills to recognize healthy and unhealthy relationships is an essential part of supporting their long-term health and well-being.

What’s at stake for Texas youth?

Every young person deserves access to trusted information, caring adults, and the opportunity to build healthy relationships.

Evidence-based adolescent health education helps young people build communication skills, recognize unhealthy behaviors, make informed decisions, and know where to turn when they need support.

When access to these programs is reduced, the impact extends beyond individual students. It affects families, schools, healthcare providers, and communities across Texas.

What does this mean for Healthy Futures of Texas?

The loss of this funding has had an immediate impact. Healthy Futures has eliminated 13 positions across the organization and reduced its capacity to serve communities throughout Texas.

Even so, our mission has not changed.

We remain committed to improving adolescent health through education, partnerships, professional learning, advocacy, and trusted resources. As we look ahead, we will continue working with schools, parents, healthcare providers, community organizations, philanthropic partners, and supporters to ensure young people across Texas have access to the information, skills, and support they need to thrive.

Will Healthy Futures continue this work?

Yes. Healthy Futures remains committed to improving adolescent health across Texas.

The reality, however, is that without replacement funding, fewer schools will receive evidence-based programming, fewer educators will receive training, and thousands fewer Texas youth will have access to trusted health information.

We are actively seeking new funding, strengthening partnerships, and exploring every opportunity to sustain and expand this work. But we cannot do it alone.

Continued collaboration with schools, healthcare providers, community organizations, philanthropic partners, and supporters will be essential to ensuring Texas youth and families continue to have access to evidence-based education and trusted resources.

Take Action

The future of evidence-based adolescent health education depends on informed voices and engaged communities.

If you believe every young person deserves access to trusted, medically accurate, and age-appropriate health education, here’s how you can help.

Contact Your Members of Congress

Federal funding decisions directly affect the resources available to young people and communities across Texas.

Contact your U.S. Senators and your U.S. Representative and urge them to support continued federal investment in evidence-based adolescent health education. Hearing directly from constituents helps them understand how these decisions affect local communities.

Need help getting started?

We’ve prepared an Advocacy Alert with background information, talking points, a sample message, and step-by-step instructions for contacting your elected officials.

Stay Informed

Sign up to receive Healthy Futures updates, advocacy alerts, and opportunities to help improve adolescent health across Texas.

The need has not changed.

Healthy Futures remains committed to ensuring Texas youth and families have access to trusted, evidence-based health education.

Still teaching. Still reaching. Still committed.

Together, we can help ensure this work continues.