September 5, 2024 Philadelphia, PA – In a significant move to support reproductive healthcare, Minority Leader Kendra Brooks has announced $500,000 in city funding for Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania. This marks the first instance of direct municipal funding for Planned Parenthood in Philadelphia. The announcement was made during a ceremonial check presentation to Dayle Steinberg, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Leader Brooks, in her remarks, emphasized the importance of ensuring access to reproductive healthcare, particularly in a post-Roe landscape where abortion access is increasingly under threat. “This is the first time that city funding is going directly to our local branch of Planned Parenthood, and it’s part of a larger, record-setting allocation of nearly a million dollars for reproductive healthcare citywide,” Brooks stated. “We must do everything in our power locally, across the state, and nationally to ensure that abortion providers remain open – and safe – in the communities where they serve.”
Dayle Steinberg echoed this sentiment, reaffirming Planned Parenthood’s commitment to reproductive rights. “Maintaining and expanding access to abortion services in a post-Roe landscape – where now 22 states have abortion bans – remains one of our top priorities. The right to make your own decision about your body and your life is so fundamental, so basic.”
In addition to the Planned Parenthood funding, the City of Philadelphia is also allocating $450,000 to address period poverty and improve access to reproductive care for low-income residents. This brings the total municipal funding for reproductive healthcare to nearly $1 million.
Dr. Sameera Mokkarala, an OB/GYN in Philadelphia, praised the funding initiative, highlighting the financial struggles that many patients face, particularly in Pennsylvania, where the Hyde Amendment restricts Medicaid from covering abortion services. “This is especially true post-Dobbs, with people traveling to Pennsylvania from as far as Texas in order to receive the care they cannot get in their home states,” she noted.
Alongside the funding announcement, Minority Leader Brooks introduced a resolution to establish a Reproductive Freedom Task Force. This task force will consist of patients, healthcare providers, city agencies, and stakeholders, all working together to protect and expand access to reproductive healthcare in Philadelphia. Initially proposed in 2022 as part of a Reproductive Freedom Package, the task force is expected to launch later this year with the support of Mayor Cherelle Parker.
Advocates across the city celebrate these initiatives as crucial steps toward securing reproductive rights and supporting healthcare providers in Philadelphia.
