The magnitude of the impact that pregnancy help centers have in service to women and families in the U.S. is even greater than previously thought.
Based on the latest findings of the Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI), Pregnancy Help News reported in December 2023 how pregnancy centers in the United States had delivered more than $350 million in services and goods during more than 16 million client visits in 2022, along with other statistics showing the extensive material benefit that pregnancy help organizations provide to people in need.
CLI, the research arm of national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, has released an updated, more comprehensive version of its “Hope for a New Generation” pregnancy center report and the findings indicate more pregnancy help for women and families than ever – in one example, the fact that pregnancy centers provide >$100 million more in total goods and services in 2022 than in 2019.
CLI works with Care Net, Heartbeat International, the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA), and the Option Ultrasound Program by Focus on the Family to compile the data for the report. It is the fifth such report from CLI, providing both data and testimonials that underscore the positive impact that pregnancy centers had in 2022.
Over 2,750 pregnancy centers in the U.S. served families with material goods and services valued at $367 million in 2022, according to the report, up from the 358+ previously reported.
Pregnancy help centers saw over 970,000 new clients in 2022, and more than eight in 10 pregnancy centers are providing medical services.
Further, pregnancy help centers have a 97.4% satisfaction rating from clients.
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Between 2019 and 2022, there were notable percent increases of material assistance and services offered by pregnancy centers:
- 41% growth in attendees for parenting and prenatal education programs
- 27% jump in STD/STI tests provided
- 194% increase in material services/baby items delivered (two previously unreported categories, new cribs and infant formula, were included in this report)
Updated figures from the 2022 report over 2019 also include:
- Ultrasounds performed >29,000+ more
- After-abortion support clients 1,480+ more
- Youth attending SRAE presentations >40,000+ more
Additionally, maternity homes have nearly doubled in four years, according to the report’s findings, and more women have access to Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) to continue their pregnancies after taking the abortion drug, mifepristone.
The report comes as pregnancy help remains under attack from abortion supporters, most recently with New York Attorney General Letitia James suing Heartbeat International and 11 pregnancy help centers to quash promotion of APR. California AG Rob Bonta similarly sued Heartbeat and a group of its affiliated pregnancy centers in the state over APR last fall. Those attacks follow legislative and other efforts and public disparagement by pro-abortion elected officials targeting pregnancy centers at both the state and federal level, as well as vandalism and violence directed at pregnancy centers since the Supreme Court draft opinion in the Dobbs case was leaked in May 2022.
Dr. Michael New, assistant professor of Social Research at The Catholic University of America and senior associate scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, noted in a column for national Review how 2022 was challenging for pro-life pregnancy help centers.
New noted that many pregnancy centers reported seeing an increase in clients and phone calls after the June 2022 Dobbs decision, pro-abortion elected officials continued to initiate legislation to hamper pregnancy help, and some pregnancy help centers were targeted with arson, vandalism, and other types of violence after the Dobbs leak.
“However, “Hope for a New Generation” shows that pregnancy help centers not only overcame these challenges but increased their own impact,” New said. “Excellent news as pro-lifers continue our efforts to assist pregnant women in need.”
Charles Donovan, strategic advisor for the CLI, spoke as well to the many varied attacks on pregnancy help in contrast to the significant benefit of pregnancy centers in an article for Newsweek.
In addition to hostile state legislators advancing at least 26 bills hindering pregnancy help efforts, Donovan cited the Bonta and James lawsuits against Heartbeat International, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) introducing bills directing the Federal Trade Commission to “crack down” on the centers for not offering abortion, and also two University of Georgia College of Public Health researchers creating a derogatory map of pregnancy help centers that has been used to encourage attacks on the centers.
Tweet This: Pregnancy help centers both improve and save lives. It's time we offered hope, not more despair, for a new generation.
“These frantic efforts to stand between women and their own children have so far failed to stop pregnancy centers from offering help to women in need,” Donovan said.
“These centers both improve and save lives,” he said, referencing the 97.4 percent positive experience rating. “It's time we offered hope, not more despair, for a new generation.”
The full CLI "Hope for A New Generation" report is available HERE and a one-page breakdown of the report can be found HERE. The entire roster of CLI’s pregnancy center reports is available HERE. Heartbeat International has catalogued the abortion lobby’s false claims against pregnancy centers, countering with facts HERE.
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages the Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN) and Pregnancy Help News. Charles Donovan serves on the Board of Directors for Heartbeat International.
