(PRESS RELEASE) Since November 2014, Indiana's Pregnancy and Parenting Support Program has served 11,036 clients at 24,162 support service visits in Indiana. The taxpayer-funded program exists to offer women counseling and mentoring support as an alternative to abortion.
Real Alternatives is the statewide administrator for the program. Kevin Bagatta, President and CEO of Real Alternatives said, "Thanks to this state program, Indiana women who are alone and facing an unexpected pregnancy have another person to assist them which empowers them to overcome obstacles and pressures so they can choose life for their preborn baby." Real Alternatives uses a growing network of 19 pregnancy support centers and social service agencies in Indiana to provide caring, compassionate, and trained counselors who offer free pregnancy support and parenting education services to women.
In the program's first fiscal year ending September 30, 2015, 8,737 women from 47 counties were provided comprehensive counseling, mentoring, education, and support services for up to nine (9) months of pregnancy and twelve (12) months after the birth of their baby. The northern regional pilot program received funding of $1.0 million that fiscal year through the Indiana State Department of Health. The Program's administrative cost ratio, including start-up, was a very low 8.12%. Due to its rapid success, the Program has been increased to $3.5 million to provide services statewide to Indiana women.
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In July 2015, the Indiana State Department of Health reported that the number of resident abortions performed in Indiana in the year 2014 rose slightly to 7,621 from the previous year. Real Alternatives Vice President, Thomas Lang pointed out, "With the difficult economic times we have experienced the last couple of years, comes increased pressure to abort. For women who come to our Program pressured by others to abort, 87% no longer consider abortion after receiving services in our Program."
Real Alternatives has been providing life-affirming pregnancy support services for 20 years in Pennsylvania. That high performance and fiscally accountable program has assisted over 260,000 women in need who sought out the Program's services.
Its not surprising that Real Alternatives has assisted 12 other states with starting taxpayer-funded programs to reach out to women facing unexpected pregnancies in their states. Real Alternatives administers statewide Pregnancy and Parenting Support Services Programs in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Michigan. Women in those states can receive services by going to www.realalternatives.org/PressKit/Video-PACrowd.htm or by calling 1-888-LIFE-AID
