by Lauren Solidum
I am very excited to announce a new collaboration between Kansas Pregnancy Care Network and Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas!
KPCN is the contractor of the Kansas Alternatives to Abortion Program created in response to “Value Them Both.” KPCN is partnering with Kansas nonprofits to deliver pregnancy and parenting supportive services that promote childbirth rather than abortion.
This past fiscal year, 110 families received pregnancy counseling, education, baby items and community referrals from CCNEK, including 61 expectant mothers and 13 families who connected with us through our adoption program.
As a recipient of this new financial support, we can expand our adoption and pregnancy services geographically further outside of the immediate Kansas City metro, to communities like Lawrence, Leavenworth and Atchison. It will also allow more women and children in need to be served through increased monetary support of our services, as well as an additional team member for more manpower.
Our pregnancy program, known as the Pregnancy Maintenance Initiative (PMI), will now be called Pregnancy Support Services to better reflect the all-encompassing work that we do. We will continue to utilize PMI, however, a program dedicated to providing services to pregnant women to enable them to carry their pregnancies to term.
The primary goal of the program is to provide case management services for pregnant women that increase ready access to appropriate prenatal care, thus improving positive pregnancy outcomes for women and their babies.
Those in need of our pregnancy support services can expect the following no-cost services in a loving, safe and nonjudgmental environment:
• free and confidential individual pregnancy counseling
• no age or income eligibility requirements
• a minimum of a once a month check-in
• honest information and referrals regarding parenting, community resources and adoption options
• post-delivery follow-up lasting up to six months after the child is born
• education about safe sleep, car seat training and a variety of other new parent topics
• essential parenting supplies such as diapers and clothing
• help with applying to Medicaid, WIC, food stamps, Happy Bottoms or other community resources
• services that can be offered in-person, by phone or by Zoom, depending on the client’s personal preference and interpretation is available as needed.
Using the partnerships above, we hope to raise a greater awareness of the resources available during an unplanned or crisis pregnancy. We believe that by providing physical help and hospitality, we can inspire hope for the future of parents and their babies. When faced with an unplanned pregnancy, individuals and families do have a choice — you can choose life with the step-by-step support of Catholic Charities and our partners like Kansas Pregnancy Care Network.
For more information about our pregnancy support services and other Catholic Charities programs, please visit the website at: catholiccharitiesks.org.
