Texas lawmakers are investing in support for mothers and babies as they work to end abortions throughout the state.
On April 22, the state House approved a $20 million increase in funding for pregnancy centers, adoption agencies and maternity homes that provide free services to families in need, according to Texas Right to Life.
In total, lawmakers voted to invest $100 million into the Texas Alternatives to Abortion program over the next two years. Through the program, agencies provide free counseling, parenting classes, diapers, formula, job skills training and more.
“This is a huge success because this means that for the next two years thousands of moms and families in Texas will get the help they desperately need,” Kim Schwartz of Texas Right to Life told One News Now.
Schwartz told the news outlet that abortion supporters tried to thwart the funding by introducing six amendments to defund or reduce the program, but pro-life lawmakers defeated them all.
“Texas operates on a balanced budget, so any allocation of taxpayer dollars comes purely from what has already been collected,” she said.
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The funding increase will help a growing number of families who have been seeking help through the program in recent years. According to Texas Right to Life, “demand for life-affirming options is skyrocketing,” and the program saw a 52-percent increase in services provided during the past two years.
“In 2020 alone, over 67,000 young moms and families were given the help they needed to choose life for their baby,” Schwartz said.
Across the United States, approximately 2,700 pro-life pregnancy centers provide vital support to pregnant and parenting families every year. According to the Charlotte Lozier Institute, these centers served almost 2 million people in 2019, providing more than 730,000 pregnancy tests, nearly half a million ultrasounds, 1.3 million packs of diapers, more than 2 million baby outfits and numerous other free services.