Did you know that the state of Texas maintains an active network of organizations to support women in unplanned pregnancies – before, during, and after the baby is born? While anti-Life activists claim that Texas laws protecting women and children from the predatory antics of Big Abortion are aimed at impeding women or infringing on their choices, the larger framework of Texas’ Pro-Life infrastructure tells a different story. From pregnancy care to adoption resources or assistance caring for the baby after birth, the Texas Alternatives to Abortion (A2A) Services Program upholds Texas’ commitment to protecting women and protecting Life.
The A2A is funded by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The Program ensures that women experiencing unplanned pregnancies do not feel trapped by anti-Life rhetoric intended to sell abortions by suggesting that abortion is a woman’s only or best option. The Texas Pregnancy Care Network (TPCN) is contracted with the State of Texas; under the TPCN, which is funded by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, abortion alternatives become a tangible reality.
Working with the Texas Alternatives to Abortion (A2A) Services Program, the TPCN encompasses a statewide network of providers which offer “comprehensive, life-affirming support” to women experiencing unplanned pregnancies. These providers include pregnancy resource centers, social service agencies, adoption agencies, and maternity residences working with the shared goal of reaching women with pregnancy options that acknowledge their own human dignity and that of their preborn child.
Pro-Life legislators consistently work to give women real options by increasing funding for abortion alternatives in Texas. Currently, of the more than 200 pregnancy resource centers in the state, only select centers are eligible for taxpayer funding through the A2A program due to budget constraints. The Source for Women, for example, is a Houston-based network of three pregnancy centers that were selected for participation in the A2A.
By prioritizing Life-affirming alternatives to abortion, Texas underscores a deep commitment to the wellbeing of both mother and child in every unplanned pregnancy situation. Coupled with pro-woman informed consent laws for abortion, protections for vulnerable minors seeking secret abortions, and strident health and safety provisions, these A2A provisions continue Texas’ longstanding record of protecting women and standing for LIFE.