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 But the network said it planned to work with the Duggars to
produce a one-hour documentary about child sexual abuse that
will include two of the daughters, now in their 20s, who have
publicly acknowledged they were molested by their brother Josh
about 12 years ago.
Since the revelations surfaced in May, child protection
advocates have accused the conservative Christian parents who
starred on the show, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, of playing
down their son Josh's abuse of four of his sisters, one of whom
was under 10 years old at the time.
TLC, owned by Discovery Communications, pulled all previously
aired episodes of its top-rated series in May, and at least a
dozen advertisers dropped the program.
On Thursday, the network announced it had decided to cancel the
show altogether after more than a decade, ceasing plans for any
future production.
"After thoughtful consideration, TLC and the Duggar family have
decided to not move forward with '19 Kids and Counting,'" the
network said in a statement. "The show will no longer appear on
the air. The recent attention around the Duggars has sparked a
critical and important conversation about child protection."
TLC said it would team up with two victims advocacy
organizations for a public service and education program about
child sexual abuse, including a one-hour documentary with the
Duggar family that will include two of the sisters who were
molested, Jill Dillard, 24, and Jessa Seewald, 22.
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 The two said publicly last month that they had forgiven their
brother for molesting them in the past.
Josh Duggar, now 27, released a statement in May apologizing for
acting "inexcusably" 12 years ago. He also resigned from his job
at the conservative Christian activist group Family Research
Council.
In a statement posted on Michelle Duggar's blog, the family
confirmed its cooperation on a TLC documentary.
"With God’s grace and help, Josh, our daughters and our entire
family overcame a terrible situation, found healing and a way
forward," the Duggars said. "We are so pleased with the
wonderful adults they have all become."
The statement said the Duggars hoped "the painful situation our
family went through many years ago can point people toward faith
in God and help others who also have lived through similar dark
situations."
(Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales and Steve Gorman; Editing by
Will Dunham and Bill Trott)
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