N.J. Budget Cuts Cause Several Family Planning Centers To Close

September 24, 2010 — State budget cuts to New Jersey family planning centers have forced one facility to close its doors, while at least two more are expected to close by the end of November, advocates said on Wednesday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

In his fiscal 2011 budget, Gov. Chris Christie (R) vetoed $7.5 million for family planning centers, saying that the state did not have the funding. Democrats in the Legislature on Monday failed to override Christie's veto and restore the funding, which would have been distributed to 58 family planning centers across the state. In 2009, the centers provided more than 130,000 residents with services such as birth control, prenatal care, and breast and cervical cancer screenings. The centers could not use state funds for abortion services.

Planned Parenthood of Southern New Jersey Executive Vice President Joyce Kurzweil said that the budget cuts meant a $160,000 loss to the organization's budget of just over $3 million. On Monday, the group closed its Kings Highway facility, and several other locations are expected to reduce their hours and possibly cut staff. The closing is "a great loss to our clients," Kurzweil said, adding, "They look to us, and they expect us to be here for them." She added that it is "unfortunate that the governor has taken this track of eliminating services that really save the state money."

Michele Jaker, executive director of the Family Planning Association of New Jersey, said the Burlington County Health Department is expected to close two family planning centers by the end of November. Jaker added that "there are going to be others closing" (Lu, Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/23).

Lynn Brown, PPSNJ president and CEO, said that one in four U.S. women have used services provided by Planned Parenthood and that family planning agencies help prevent thousands of unintended pregnancies, saving millions in health-related costs. Brown said, "This is a very frustrating and perplexing time for us as public health providers," adding that the budget cuts are "strictly ideological." Kurzweil said, "When our critics who do not believe in family planning talk, they look for the controversy," adding, "They don't look at our other scope of services, where we spend 99% of our time. The sound bite is abortion" (Desai, Cherry Hill Courier-Post, 9/22).