Throughout the past year, RHCN partners and advocates like you have followed along as the allocation of federal family planning funds (Title X) faced continued delay and uncertainty. We’re happy to announce that Title X funding for the grant year beginning April 1, has been awarded to Reproductive Health Collaborative Nebraska!
The Office of Population Affairs (located within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) has announced that Nebraska’s Title X federal family planning award for the grant year spanning April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027, is flat-funded at $1,916,944.
Cassie Maher, Senior Manager of Investments & Title X Project Director
“The funding secured for this year allows our network to continue supporting the health of individuals and families, even as we navigate ongoing uncertainty about the long-term future of this program,” said Cassie Maher, Senior Manager of Investments & Title X Project Director at Reproductive Health Collaborative Nebraska.
Remind Me, What’s Title X?
Title X is the United States’ sole program for affordable family planning and sexual and reproductive healthcare services. Congress established the program in 1970 with bipartisan support. It was designed to primarily serve low-income individuals and ensure that everyone can access vital family planning and preventive care.
“Title X allows this work to exist in many communities across Nebraska, especially where access options are limited,” said Maher. “For many Nebraskans, this program supports routine, preventive care and plays an important role in improving health outcomes within our communities.”
Specifically, Title X healthcare services include:
- Lifesaving cervical and breast cancer screenings
- Sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment
- Contraception
- Pregnancy testing and counseling, and family planning
- Basic infertility services and counseling
- Annual wellness exams
RHCN sub-grants these funds across our statewide network of 10 healthcare agencies at 30 clinical sites. We administer funding, maintain compliance, advocate for the network, and partner with providers to keep this integral program working on behalf of Nebraskans. These essential dollars support services and education for approximately 25,000 Nebraskans each year—many of whom are women, uninsured, and/or living below the federal poverty level.
“In Nebraska, access to care often depends on a small number of trusted providers. This funding helps keep those doors open,” said Maher.
As Nebraska’s sole Title X administrator, RHCN is a steward of this funding and acts to ensure its proper direction and usage so it can best support sexual and reproductive health needs for Nebraskans spanning from Omaha to Scottsbluff.
RHCN braids Title X and critical private funding to provide training, funding, and other support throughout our statewide network. In 2025, our unique approach helped serve 24,282 clients at 36,120 visits. Clients lived in 85 of Nebraska’s 93 counties and were:
- 81% women
- 41% uninsured
- 48% living at 100% and below the federal poverty level (FPL)
- 86% living at 250% and below FPL
What’s Been Happening?
“This has been a challenging stretch for providers, but our partners have continued to show up and provide care without interruption. That’s what this network does, and it’s what we’ll keep doing in the year ahead,” said Maher.
- In January 2026, Congress authorized $286 million in national Title X funding for the grant year beginning April 1, 2026. Nebraska generally receives nearly $2 million.
- Nonetheless, funding allocation remained uncertain as we continued to await an update on the delayed guidance necessary to apply for this funding cycle. (For context, the Title X guidance and application are typically received in late October and due in early January.)
- On Friday, March 13, RHCN received the necessary guidance and application, and responded by the Friday, March 20, deadline.
- On April 1, RHCN received notification that our continuing application for Nebraska’s Title X dollars was approved. Dollars were available by April 3.
This funding release is great news, yet the long-term status of the national Title X program, and with it, Nebraska’s federal family planning funding, remains in jeopardy.
While Title X has historically been a dependable funding source and enjoyed wide bipartisan support, the administration has removed it entirely from next year’s proposed budget, along with funding for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program and other critical healthcare programs. In total, the proposed budget includes more than $6 million in cuts related to sexual and reproductive health funding.
“Access to care doesn’t pause when funding is uncertain, and neither does the work of RHCN-funded providers,” said Maher. “Across Nebraska, clinics have continued to meet the needs of their communities despite the looming threat of potential federal cuts, rising costs, and Medicaid changes. This funding is an important part of that work and imperative to keeping care available, affordable, and within reach for the individuals and families who rely on it.”
We hope you’ll continue to follow along as the future of federal sexual and reproductive health funding unfolds. Public advocacy and support from key representatives were huge influences in the release of funding this year, and your advocacy will likely be needed in the coming years.
In the meantime, the best way to support sexual and reproductive healthcare in Nebraska right now is with a donation to Reproductive Health Collaborative Nebraska and by sharing our newsletter sign-up link with your friends and colleagues. Thank you for being a part of our community of care!