North Carolina's state budget, passed in July, directs more than $10.7 million in public money to crisis pregnancy centers, and the state health department says it has no authority over what those centers do or achieve. The funding was detailed in a North Carolina Health News investigation published Sept. 28. A bill that would have required funded centers to report on staffing, clients, and services did not advance.
A spokesperson for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) told the outlet that "the department has no regulatory oversight or authority over the activities or outcomes of the centers." The department also said it neither recommended nor requested the funding. As a result, millions of dollars flow to the centers each year without a state health agency assigned to measure the results.
