Arkansas Has Awarded Nearly $1M to Pregnancy Centers for 2024

Above: On April 4, 2023, lawmakers passed a measure authorizing $1 million in funding for grants to pregnancy help organizations in the state. To date, the State of Arkansas has awarded nearly all of this funding.

This fiscal year, the State of Arkansas has awarded nearly one million dollars to pregnancy resource centers that support women and families with unplanned pregnancies.

Act 622 of 2023 by Sen. Scott Flippo (R – Bull Shoals) and Rep. Lane Jean (R – Magnolia) authorizes $1 million in state-funded grants for crisis pregnancy centers, maternity homes, adoption agencies, and social services agencies that provide material support to women with unplanned pregnancies.

This grant funding provides women and families with alternatives to abortion.

The measure directs the Department of Finance and Administration to distribute the state-funded grants to these pregnancy help organizations by June 30, 2024.

To date, the State of Arkansas has successfully distributed nearly all of this funding for Fiscal Year 2024.

According to data on the State of Arkansas’ transparency website, Arkansas has awarded $972,961.07 to 26 organizations.

This money will have a tremendous, pro-life impact in Arkansas.

Now that abortion is prohibited in Arkansas except to save the life of the mother, we need to support women and families and eliminate the demand for abortion. This grant funding  does that. It provides women in Arkansas with actual pro-life options — meaning they are less likely to travel out of state for abortion.

Family Council was pleased to support passage of Act 622 last year, and we plan to work for passage of another appropriation measure at the Arkansas Legislature this year.

Below is a list of the resource centers and the grant amounts awarded so far.

Resource CenterDoing Business AsGrant Amount
INFORMED CHOICES WOMENS CENTER OF THE OZ$71,167.00
NEW BEGINNINGS PREGNANCY CENTER$47,970.00
PATHWAY RESOURCE CENTER$40,200.00
ST JOSEPHS HELPERS OF PULASKI COUNTYARKANSAS PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER$40,000.00
CRADLE THE MATERNITY SUPPORT CENTER OF CKATHLEEN BLOSSOM$40,000.00
ST BERNARDS HOSPITAL DEVELOPMENT FOUNDAT$40,000.00
HOPEPLACE NEWPORT$40,000.00
ST FRANCIS HOUSE NWA INCCOMMUNITY CLINIC$40,000.00
OPEN ARMS PREGNANCY CENTER INC$40,000.00
PLUM FOUNDATIONPEACE LOVE UNDERSTANDING MERCY$40,000.00
ABBA CHARITIES INC$40,000.00
COMPASSION MINISTRIES LTD$40,000.00
HOPEPLACE – FORDYCE$40,000.00
PREGNANCY HELP CENTERPREGNANCY HELP CLINIC$39,956.00
PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER FOR SOUTHWEST$39,919.00
CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTER OF CENTRAL ARKANCARING HEARTS PREGNANCY CENTER$39,462.00
BAPTIST HEALTH FOUNDATION$39,000.00
SOUTH ARKANSAS CARING PREGNANCY CENTERHANNAH PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER$37,039.00
HEART TO HEART PREGNANCY SUPPORT CENTER$36,995.51
CHANGEPOINT PREGNANCY CARE AND PARENTING$33,675.00
HOPEPLACE MONTICELLO$33,493.00
HOPE OF THE DELTA CENTER$31,864.56
LIFES CHOICE PREGNANCY CARE CENTER$24,380.00
ARKANSAS BAPTIST CHILDRENS HOMES AND FAMLIVING WELL COUNSELING$23,851.50
FORT SMITH CHRISTIAN FAMILY SERVICES INC1ST CHOICE PREGNANCY MEDICAL CENTER$23,770.50
HOPES FIRST CHOICE PREGNANCY RESOURCE CE$10,218.00
Total$972,961.07

Legislation Would Provide $2M for Pregnancy Help Organizations, Address Maternal Health in Arkansas

The Arkansas Legislature’s 2024 fiscal session is underway, and lawmakers are busy considering budget measures.

On Thursday Sen. John Payton (R – Wilburn) filed S.B. 64 providing $2 million in state funding for pregnancy help organizations that promote maternal health and provide women with options besides abortion. If passed, the measure would provide increased funding for organizations that help women and families.

 In 2022 Family Council worked with the legislature and the governor to secure $1 million for pregnancy centers. This funding provided grants to more than 20 pregnancy help organizations. Last year we worked with lawmakers to renew this funding. This grant money has gone to good organizations across the state that give women and families real assistance when faced with an unplanned pregnancy.

S.B. 64 would make improvements to the grant program. It would increase state funding from $1 million per year to $2 million. This would put Arkansas’ funding on parr with other states’.

The bill also clarifies that “pregnancy help organizations” include nonprofit organizations that promote infant and maternal wellness and reduce infant and maternal mortality by:

  • Providing nutritional information and/or nutritional counseling;
  • Providing prenatal vitamins;
  • Providing a list of prenatal medical care options;
  • Providing social, emotional, and/or material support; or
  • Providing referrals for WIC and community-based nutritional services, including but not limited to food banks, food pantries, and food distribution centers.

The measure includes language preventing state funds from going to abortionists and their affiliates.

Now that abortion is prohibited in Arkansas except to save the life of the mother, we need to support women and families with unplanned pregnancies, and we need to promote infant and maternal wellness. This grant funding  does that.

It provides women in Arkansas with actual, pro-life options and support — meaning they are less likely to travel out of state for abortion. And it helps fund pro-life organizations who are promoting infant and maternal wellness in Arkansas.

More than 50 pregnancy help organizations serve thousands of women in Arkansas. S.B. 64 would enable them to do even more in our state.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

Arkansas Legislature Convenes for Fiscal Session

The Arkansas Legislature convened its 2024 fiscal session on Wednesday.

Lawmakers have pre-filed 142 budget measures ahead of this session — the vast majority of which simply appropriate funds for state agencies in the coming 2025 fiscal year.

One of Family Council’s goals for the 2024 budget session is to work with lawmakers to secure an appropriation that will provide funding for pro-life pregnancy resource centers in the state.

 In 2022 we worked with the legislature and the governor to secure $1 million in funding for pregnancy centers. We did the same thing last year as well.

This funding has gone to good organizations across the state that give women and families real assistance when faced with an unplanned pregnancy.

Since the 2022 Dobbs decision reversing Roe v. Wade, state legislatures around the country have ramped up state funding for pregnancy help organizations, and Arkansas risks lagging behind other states if we don’t provide adequate funding for these organizations.

More than 50 pregnancy help organizations serve thousands of women in Arkansas. Providing them with assistance from state-funded grants enables them to do even more in our state.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.