BOZEMAN, Mont. — Bridgercare is trying to replace lost funding after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ended support for its teen pregnancy prevention program before a five-year grant was set to finish.
The Bozeman health care provider offers reproductive health care and education across southwest Montana. Executive Director Stephanie McDowell said the grant ended at the close of the third year.
The organization received a letter from DHHS stating its curriculum did not match agency priorities. McDowell said Bridgercare used evidence-based educational programming shown to reduce teen pregnancy and sexual activity.
Bridgercare usually works with different groups that serve teens to deliver that education. McDowell said the organization followed the lead of each partner and tailored lessons to community needs.
“We really try to take the lead of the organization that we're partnering with and what their community looks like and what their community wants. And so oftentimes we're invited into schools. We can be invited into churches, organizations that are serving at-risk youth. And we really respect the boundaries that they set. And we provide education based on what they would like to see us do,” McDowell said.
According to the Montana Youth Risk Survey, 42% of Montana high school students reported having sex. Half reported using a condom the last time they had sex and less than half reported using another form of birth control.
McDowell said the grant required Bridgercare to meet with the Department of Health and Human Services once a month. She said the group still had approval last month and that the letter was the only indication there was a problem. For the fourth year of the grant, Bridgercare was scheduled to work with groups in 19 Montana counties.
Bridgercareis working with congressional legislators, reapplying for funding and asking the community for support in the meantime, McDowell said.
“I think the abrupt stop to the grant is really disappointing,” she said.
NonStop Local reached out to DHHS for comment and has not heard back at this time.