{"id":327723,"date":"2025-03-13T06:53:04","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T11:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=327723"},"modified":"2025-03-13T07:34:54","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T12:34:54","slug":"alternatives-abortion-thriving-texas-families-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/alternatives-abortion-thriving-texas-families-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Offering alternatives to abortion: The Thriving Texas Families Program"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this guest post are solely those of the guest author. <\/i>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

In a remarkable show of support for mothers and children, Texas has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the Thriving Texas Families (originally called Alternatives to Abortion) program over 20 years. This support network for Texas residents is funded through the <\/span>General Appropriations Budget<\/span><\/a> under Texas Health and Human Services (TXHHS). According to <\/span>TXHHS<\/span><\/a>, the program:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Promotes healthy pregnancy and childbirth, promotes childbirth as an alternative to abortion, increases access to resources that promote family and child development, encourages family formation, helps parents establish and implement successful parenting techniques, increases the number of families who achieve economic self-sufficiency, and provides a local approach and personalized support to pregnant women to promote childbirth in all instances of pregnancy.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The Texas Legislature set aside $165 million to fund the program for 2024-2025. $140 million came from the General Appropriations Budget and an additional $25 million came as a result of the Supplemental Appropriations Bill.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The money is distributed to pregnancy centers across the state through organizations like the <\/span>Texas Pregnancy Care Network<\/span><\/a> (TPCN).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

READ: AMAZING: Texas pregnancy center celebrates 30 years and 90,000 babies saved<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

According to its website, TPCN <\/span>\u201c<\/span>is a non-profit, charitable organization committed to assisting organizations that help women in crisis pregnancies via free, compassionate, practical, and life-affirming services.\u201d <\/span>In describing its goals, TPCN\u2019s website states:<\/span><\/p>\n

TPCN\u2019s Goals Are: <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

[1] To assist organizations that promote a woman’s physical and mental well-being during her pregnancy and postnatal. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

[2] To assist organizations that improve the physical well-being of the unborn child and the newborn. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

[3] To assist organizations that encourage adoption as an option for women who are unable to parent. TPCN primarily achieves these goals by serving as the prime contractor of the Thriving Texas Families Program, funded through the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

To raise awareness of this pro-life support network, the <\/span>Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn<\/span><\/a> Initiative highlights the program in their Texas ordinances. The information included in the \u201cFindings\u201d section of the ordinances is purely for educational purposes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since its inception, the Thriving Texas Families (Alternatives to Abortion) program has faced <\/span>scrutiny<\/span><\/a> from all sides of the political spectrum. Perhaps most troubling are statements from some in the pro-life movement that misrepresent the program and the pregnancy centers that are a part of it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On May 28, 2024, Hope Choice Pregnancy Centers and Mentoring Programs Executive Director Candy Gibbs spoke against a Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance before the Amarillo City Council. Surprisingly, Gibbs\u2019 biggest complaint about the ordinance was its reference to the Thriving Texas Families (Alternatives to Abortion) program. She pointed out that it is government funds that are being distributed to pregnancy centers through organizations like <\/span>Texas Pregnancy Care Network<\/span><\/a> (TPCN).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n