Trump's week in review: Nat'l Prayer Breakfast, TrumpRx, guidance on religious expression in public schools

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Saturday, February 07, 2026

1. HHS announces faith-based orgs. can get federal funding for addiction recovery programs

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Monday that the Trump administration has committed to “bringing faith-based providers fully into this work” of treating drug addiction as part of a $100 million program called Safety Through Recovery, Engagement and Evidence-based Treatment and Supports (STREETS).

“This is a chronic disease. It’s a physical disease. It’s a mental disease, it’s an emotional disease. But above all, it’s a spiritual disease,” Kennedy said. 

“We need to recognize that,” he added. “Faith-based organizations play a crucial role [in] helping people reestablish their connection.”

Kennedy and the HHS elaborated on the STREETS Program in a statement Monday, identifying its purpose as to “solve long-standing homelessness issues, fight opioid addiction, and improve public safety by expanding treatment that emphasizes recovery and self-sufficiency.” 

Kennedy discussed the initiative on Prevention Day, an annual government-sponsored event hosted by HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The HHS statement noted that both SAMHSA and the HHS’ Administration for Children and Families intend to issue a Dear Colleague letter welcoming full participation from faith-based organizations in their programs and activities consistent with President Donald Trump’s 2025 executive order establishing the White House Faith Office. 

“The executive branch wants faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to compete on a level playing field for grants, contracts, programs, and other Federal funding opportunities,” the executive order stated.

Tom DeVries, president of the Colorado-based Citygate Network that includes 330 Christian rescue missions and ministries, told The New York Times that “The government has reached out to us and invited us into the process more than we had been previously.”