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THE Family Planning Association (FPA) of TT may have to cancel some of its service offerings as it forecasts a 53 per cent cut in funding owing to a United States’ freeze on foreign aid spending.
On May 14, FPA’s executive director Jill De Bourg told Newsday that its funding came from two categories – unrestricted and restricted sources. The majority of its unrestricted funding comes from the International Planned Parenthood Foundation (IPPF) and income from its clinics. She said that funding was used to cover operational costs and sustain community education and services.
Restricted funding is provided by grants and donors and is designated for specific projects and programme implementation. That is the category, she said, which took a major hit with the US policy.
“Following the rollout of executive orders by the Trump administration, we have experienced a significant decline in restricted US grant funding, down 53 per cent for 2025. In 2024, we received a total funding amount of $2,804,401 compared to 2025 projected estimate of $1,293,075 post executive orders.”
De Bourg said FPATT also received $1 million annually from the TT government on a refund basis. That means the government refunds the organisation up to that amount once relevant documentation is submitted to prove the expenses were paid for by FPA.
Speaking to reporters after the opening ceremony for a new clinic on Bertrand Street, San Fernando, on May 14, FPA’s president, Rose-Marie Belle Antoine said the organisation also funded projects by successfully bidding for funds from international organisations.
“For example, our youth services – for many years that is how we were able to build the youth facility in Port of Spain. We were doing all kinds of services with youth. That’s what we call project funds. So project funds, apart from our routine subventions, have also been curtailed because there’s less money out there to even bid for. So the whole environment is very, very restricted.”
Antoine said the impact was further exacerbated as TT was still a developing nation.
“We don’t have a private sector or government that has a lot of money to just fill the gaps.”
Comparing TT to Canada, she said: “They could afford to give millions and millions and it’s not such a big problem.”
She noted that the organisation had benefited significantly from the local private sector’s support but that had been dwindling.
“Maybe it’s just too many demands on our private sector. It’s a small private sector but we haven’t seen as many generous donations as we would have in the past.”
With the recent funding challenges, Antoine said she was concerned about the organisation’s ability to continue all its programmes and was particularly worried about its youth services, HIV programme and services directed to members of the LGBTI community. She said its special services for migrants project had to be stopped because it was being funded by a UN agency which was affected by the US’s new policy.
Delivering remarks at the opening ceremony, Antoine called for support from corporate TT.
“We can’t let go. We have to keep pushing. We have to continue to let those out there who are our friends, some of the banks, some of the corporate partners…don’t abandon us. Stay with us. We need you more than ever because of the situation of international funding across the world.”
Antoine said one area of focus to help generate revenue was improving its clinical services, which were offered under market value to help the most vulnerable.
On April 8, the IPPF estimated that if the US cut all funding, that would result in an additional 3,844 maternal deaths, over 3 million unintended pregnancies, and 756,010 unsafe abortions globally.
Within his first few days in office, Trump signed executive orders targeting foreign aid and even dissolved the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which was the principal agency responsible for extending development assistance to countries around the world.
“It is the policy of United States that no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States,” the order said.
About a week later, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a blanket waiver for life-saving humanitarian assistance programmes. However, activities that involve abortions and family planning were not covered in the waiver.
There have been legal challenges to some of the measures implemented against foreign aid. In February, a US District Judge ruled the administration could not suspend or cancel foreign assistance that was in place before Trump took office. According to international reports, the administration continues with its review of foreign aid after extending its April 19 deadline by 30 days.
Trinidad and Tobago Newsday
