Fourteen states have now rejected federal formula grants for abstinence-only education, nearly double last year’s number, as the debate over the effectiveness of such programs continues to simmer in the wake of federal inaction on the controversial topic.
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D) recently decided not to provide the $275,098 that would be required for his state to qualify for its share of $50 million in federal Title V abstinence grants.
Left unaffected are two federal funding sources that go directly to nonprofit organizations providing abstinence-only education: Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE), funded at $113 million in 2007, and the Adolescent Family Life program, which totals around $13 million a year.
Kaine’s spokesman said the governor has seen “no evidence” that abstinence-only education programs work and instead favors “abstinence-based” education that is part of comprehensive sex education.
