Texas House approves $70M for program supporting pro-life pregnancy centers

Life-giving pregnancy resource centers may get a substantial financial boost in Texas this year.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives recently voted to earmark $210 million in its state budget to a program that helps pregnancy centers, a $70 million increase compared to the current biennium, the Houston Chronicle reports.

If approved, the money would go to the Thriving Families program, formerly known as Alternatives to Abortion. The House and Senate must still work out differences in their respective budget versions.

“This program promotes healthy pregnancy and childbirth,” bill sponsor Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, told Texas Right to Life. “It supports moms who choose to have their baby. It increases access to resources that promote family and child development. It encourages families to stay together and support each other. It teaches parents to implement successful parenting techniques. It teaches families to take care of themselves financially. And it provides personalized support to pregnant women so that mom feels ready to have her baby.

“The additional dollars that we are appropriating today will help further the mission of this very successful program, providing women with the support they need to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.”

Texas Right to Life welcomed the prospect of more funding.

“By increasing pro-life funding, we can support women and their babies with compassion and care instead of letting the abortion industry target them,” the organization said in a statement. “Miracles like these don’t just happen. They’re the gifts of a loving God who created every child in His image, children we’re called to protect.” 

Thriving Families offers funding for many services provided at pregnancy resource centers, including counseling and mentoring on pregnancy, education, parenting, adoption, life skills and employment readiness. 

Additionally, the program offers care coordination for prenatal, perinatal and postnatal services, helping connect women to health services. The program provides educational materials on pregnancy, parenting and adoption to women and makes referrals to social services and government programs for childcare, housing and other public benefits. 

The centers receiving funding provide classes covering life skills for expecting mothers, including personal finance, parenthood, stress management, job training, job readiness, job placement and educational attainment. They also give women pregnancy and infant care supplies like car seats, cribs, maternity clothes, diapers and baby formula. 

The program serves about 125,000 people annually, with funding coming from the state’s Medicaid budget. 

Thriving Families has existed since 2005, a full 17 years before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, after which Texas outlawed abortion. 

Texas is one of 12 states with an effective ban on abortion; another four states ban abortion after six weeks, when a fetal heartbeat can be detected.