CV NEWS FEED // Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced a new state-funded pilot program that mirrors the work of pregnancy resource centers, despite his administration’s previous efforts to defund and discredit these organizations.
Launched in Clinton County in January through the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the initiative will be funded by $1.3 million in taxpayer dollars over two years, Pregnancy Help News (PHN) reported.
Shapiro has historically advanced pro-abortion policies in Pennsylvania. In August 2023, the governor cut off state funding to pregnancy centers affiliated with the long-established Real Alternatives program. Soon after, his administration encouraged public complaints against pregnancy centers by introducing an online form labeled “Report Reproductive Health Deceptive Activity.”
PHN reported that Shapiro has yet to visit a pregnancy center, despite multiple invitations from center leaders to observe their services firsthand.
Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen said that the pilot program will provide pregnancy testing, prenatal vitamins, health assessments, depression screenings, car seat safety checks, educational resources, and referrals for social services, including mental health care and housing assistance.
However, PHN noted, pregnancy centers across Pennsylvania have been providing these same services for decades — at no cost to taxpayers.
Jill Hartman, executive director of A Woman’s Concern Pregnancy Center and a leader in the Pennsylvania Pregnancy Wellness Collaborative (PPWC), questioned why the governor is funding a program that simply duplicates services that already exist.
“What they are doing is spending $1.3 million on a two-year pilot that has already been provided by pregnancy centers across the state,” she said.
While state officials have not explicitly said whether the new pilot centers will refer for abortions, pregnancy help advocates remain skeptical of the program’s true intent.
“Pregnancy centers in Pennsylvania outnumber Planned Parenthood clinics nine to one,” Hartman noted.
Pregnancy centers also provide crucial material assistance and services, alleviating potential financial burdens on the state. According to the Pregnancy Center State Impact Report (2022) from the Charlotte Lozier Institute, these centers delivered an estimated $8.9 million in resources, including medical services, counseling, and essential supplies for mothers and infants.
PPWC President Sarah Bowen said that pregnancy centers offer locally driven care that meets the unique needs of their communities.
“Pregnancy centers are grassroots organizations tailored to the needs in their specific communities, governed by their communities, and funded by their communities,” Bowen said. “This kind of investment can’t be replicated with a state program.”
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