The California sex education initiative designed to prevent teenage pregnancies has lost its funding after the state declined to eliminate what has been termed “radical gender ideology” from its curriculum. Reports from late Thursday indicate that a division within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has taken this action.
Andrew Glausson, secretary of the Department of Children and Family Management, stated, “It’s unacceptable for California to defy federal law by retaining this disturbing gender ideology in federally funded sex education materials.” He added that the Trump administration aims to prevent children from being influenced by such ideologies with taxpayer money, asserting that “accountability will be enforced for states utilizing federal funds inappropriately.”
The Administration for Children and Families, part of HHS, provides funding to various organizations that assist families, including childcare. On Thursday morning, they announced the cessation of funding for California’s Personal Responsible Education Program (PREP) grants.
This PREP initiative targets California youths aged 10 to 19, intending to educate them about delays in sexual activity, increased usage of condoms or birth control among sexually active adolescents, and reductions in the number of sexual partners.
The PREP program’s website claims its services are engaging, non-judgmental, medically sound, and tailored to the diverse needs of young participants and their communities. Activities occur in numerous environments, including schools, juvenile facilities, homeless shelters, and foster group homes. They also promote community involvement and connections with youth-friendly reproductive health services.
Designed to support young individuals, especially those living in areas of need or facing homelessness, the program gears its outreach towards women up to the age of 21.
Since at least March, this grant has come under scrutiny from the Trump administration. Officials requested that program leaders provide their curriculum and related materials for review, aiming to ensure the state’s sex education programming adheres to medical accuracy and age appropriateness.
In 2022, the PREP received close to $6 million in federal funding. However, investigators from Children and Families found several topics within the curriculum that were seen as outside the program’s authorized guidelines, particularly concerning references to “gender ideology.” A 60-day ultimatum was issued to remove these references or risk losing funding.
As the deadline has now lapsed, the administration has formally terminated funding and notified California Department of Public Health (CDPH) officials, including Sydney Almendaris and Matthew Greene, about the situation.
In response, California’s health department stated it would not comply with the request to exclude what it classified as radical gender ideology from its teaching materials. They argued that their preparatory content had already undergone prior review by the ACF, was medically accurate, and served educational purposes defined in federal law.
Among the lessons flagged during curriculum review were those aimed at middle school students introducing the topic of transgender identities. One lesson noted discussions around gender expressions, emphasizing the existence of individuals who do not identify strictly as boys or girls.
Other flagged materials for high school students included explanations on what it means to be “non-binary,” implying that discussions of gender identity relate to social status.
HHS indicated that California might still forfeit an additional $12.3 million in funding not yet received. Concerns were raised about the misuse of federal funds in relation to the curriculum, which reportedly encourages students to consider gender transition methods, including hormone therapy and surgeries, while educating students on gender identity definitions.
The administration also highlighted issues within educational materials about misgendering individuals. Training for teachers included terminology such as “assigned at birth” for “cisgender,” while acknowledging various non-cisgender identities.
A letter conveyed to California health leaders clearly indicated that the department would terminate grants unless an appeal was submitted. “This is the final decision from the administration for children and families,” the letter stated, adding that an appeal must be filed within 30 days to contest it.
