A new report from the Charlotte Lozier Institute found more that nearly two million women and men in the U.S. received free services from pregnancy centers in 2017 alone.
Moira Gaul and Mai Bean, the study's authors, first presented their findings at Care Net's 35th annual National Conference in Atlanta, GA.
The study surveyed more than 2,600 pregnancy centers including Care Net, Heartbeat, and NIFLA affiliates. These centers served nearly two million clients, providing an estimated community savings of at least $161 million in 2017. More than 70 percent of surveyed centers offer free ultrasounds and sonographers provided more than 400,000 hours of free medical services.
“Pregnancy centers exist to serve and support mothers in the courageous decision to give their children life, even under the most difficult circumstances,” Charlotte Lozier Institute President Chuck Donovan said in a press release. “This report calculates the impact of their mission of love in concrete terms."
The first pregnancy center was opened 50 years ago in Toronto, Canada. The work and impact of pregnancy centers has only grown since then.
Care Net's Vice President, Cynthia Hopkins, thanked the Lozier Institute for their work on the report. She noted that Care Net's 1,100 affiliated centers have helped save more than 670,000 children from abortion just since 2008: "I'm proud of the positive work that pregnancy centers are doing in their communities to help women, men, children, and families move from struggling to thriving. With the resources and support these local centers provide, no one has to choose between their child and their future."
The report is ideal for sharing the impact of pregnancy centers with community organizations, clergy, medical professionals, legislators, educators and guidance counselors, business leaders, and other influencers.