In late January, we celebrated the overturn of Roe v. Wade at the 50th annual March for Life. This is the first year for a Post-Roe America, and that means you can expect to see a lot of policy proposals and adjustments as more babies will be born now all across our country and individual states. Texas is leading the charge in making more resources available to mothers and their children, and it paved the way well before Roe was overturned. The Texas Alternatives to Abortion Program (A2A) has been in effect since 2005 and is proof of that.
A2A supports pregnant women and their families, as well as parents considering adoption or who have experienced a miscarriage. The program covers counseling for mothers, parenting classes, job training, and material resources, including clothing and formula. It also helps connect pregnant women to government assistance programs, such as WIC and Medicaid.
These services are offered through a variety of entities, such as nonprofit pregnancy centers, social service providers, adoption agencies, and maternity homes. In the 2020 fiscal year, A2A provided services to 1,079,731 clients, serving a total of 101,099 unduplicated clients, a 59 percent increase from the previous year.
During its previous budget cycle, the Texas state legislature awarded $100 million to A2A for the 2022-23 fiscal year. The legislature absolutely must vote to increase the budget this time around to meet expecting parents’ needs as the state sees a significant rise in births and a sharp drop in abortions.
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