Pennsylvania Cuts State Funding for Pregnancy Centers

"Real Alternatives," an organization created decades ago by a Pennsylvania Democrat to help and encourage pregnant mothers to choose life for their unborn babies, is in danger of being axed under the instruction of Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

Pro-life leaders responded in droves, saying the cut will harm tens of thousands of women and children who rely on Real Alternatives every year.

The Communications and Policy Officer of the Pennsylvania Family Institute chimed in, saying, “If the state is truly interested in reproductive health, why are we making it harder to access pregnancy and parenting services? Does our government want to help women and families or line the pockets of the abortion industry?”

On Thursday, August 1st, 2024, the Democrat Governor declared that he made a proposal to end the state’s support for the abortion alternative program by the end of this year, reports the Penn Capital-Star.

In a public statement, Shapiro said, “For decades, taxpayer dollars have gone to fund Real Alternatives. My administration will not continue that pattern – we will ensure women in this Commonwealth receive the reproductive health care they deserve.”

Despite this, his actions have caused outrage among pro-lifers, as abortion groups such as Planned Parenthood will continue to receive taxpayer funding. Additionally, rapidly growing research shows that pregnant mothers currently struggle to find supplies that help them and their newborns. A recently published study in the journal Cureus found that two-thirds of women searching for abortions would have chosen life if they had better support.

Kevin Bagatta, President of Real Alternatives, sent a statement to LifeNews where he said, “Real Alternatives is shocked that Governor Shapiro’s administration has decided not to renew its contract with us as the administrator of the award-winning Pennsylvania Pregnancy and Parenting Support Services Program. We believe the governor has been terribly misinformed about the need for the program and its success.”

For more than two decades, Real Alternatives has served nearly 350,000 women in 1.9 million office visits. During each visit, women are encouraged to call Real Alternatives with any dissatisfaction or concerns about the services they received. According to their website, there hasn't been one complaint from the 13,500 women served from the moment they become pregnant up until the year after the baby is born. It’s also no surprise that these centers are largely made up of Catholic charities and social service agencies (48%), pregnancy support centers (37%), and maternity homes (15%).

The Real Alternatives program has been praised for its noble work by two Pennsylvania governors, three secretaries of the Department of Public Welfare, one vice president, and one assistant secretary of the U.S. Health and Human Services in charge of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding.

This firm and program have been a shining model for America. Former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare...

The support that this program offers vulnerable women is key. Approximately 60% of women who turn to Real Alternatives are seriously considering abortion. Of these, 84% ultimately choose life. Ending this program could lead to the death of thousands of innocent babies throughout the country.

Even though this scheme, as a social service program, does not and never planned to distribute medical services, hundreds of counselors across the country refer their clients to health services. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) calculations, their program in 2023 provided America with an astounding $14 million in health cost savings due to their clients' children receiving up-to-date immunizations. Additionally, $247 million in healthcare costs were saved due to their clients receiving expert prenatal care.

Numerous lies slandering this program were addressed at Real Alternatives during their symposium last autumn, where the topic was pregnancy support services in the Commonwealth.

Some more information about this beacon of light: It was founded by former Democrat Governor of Pennsylvania Bob Casey Sr., who was a staunch supporter of pregnant and parenting mothers choosing life by offering maternity homes, pregnancy resource centers, adoption agencies, and Catholic charities. These non-profits provided them with free counseling, supplies, and temporary shelter.

Several neighboring state governors have steadily supported funding the program, acknowledging its crucial role in helping mothers go through with having a baby and alleviating any doubts they may have. Pennsylvania Family Institute’s Vice President, Thomas Shaheen, condemned Josh Shapiro for cutting its funding, declaring it contradicts state law and replaces the joy of childbirth with abortion.

In less than 10 years, between 2012 and 2017, Real Alternatives was granted $30 million in state funding and is battling giant women’s health facilities such as Planned Parenthood, which received $50 million in 2020 alone. Pro-abortion supporters cheered and applauded the Philadelphia governor’s decision, labeling Real Alternatives as a sham and a program where vulnerable women are deceived about abortion risks and forced to give birth to babies with disabilities. The CEO, Kevin Bagatta, disputed these claims in a press meeting where he voiced the following...

To back up the fact that Real Alternatives gets its materials from authoritative and legitimate sources, they have been praised by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services several times, as well as by politicians such as Josh Hawley and Arizona Governor Kari Lake. The Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, Maria Gallagher, has voiced her support for the NGO, calling for lawmakers across America to take a leaf out of its book and start a nationwide trend of creating life-affirming programs.