FACT SHEET: CONSIDERATIONS WHEN EVALUATING POLICY PLATFORMS DIRECTED AT PREGNANCY CARE CENTRES

September 2021

Who is Pregnancy Care Canada (PCC)

  • Pregnancy Care Canada is a best practice, Christian, national association of pregnancy care centres (or crisis pregnancy centres).
  • Since 1997, PCC has been equipping, connecting, and empowering pregnancy care centres to effectively serve their communities.
  • Currently, there are 81 PCC-affiliated centres.

PCC-Affiliates

  • Pregnancy care centres serve individuals impacted by unexpected pregnancy.
  • Before receiving any services, all clients are made aware that the centre does not provide or assist in arranging abortions.
  • Staff and volunteers provide medically accurate information on all three options: abortion, adoption, and parenting.
  • Centres provide a safe environment for a woman to make a pregnancy decision that is fully informed, evidence-based, consistent with her belief system, and free from external influence.
  • PCC options information is externally reviewed by specialized practitioners in Canada, including perinatal nurses, family physicians, obstetricians & gynaecologists, and medical ethicists.
  • Support is given free of charge, available to all, and voluntarily sought out.

Who is Helped (2020 statistics)

  • 31,717 women and men accessed help at PCC-affiliated pregnancy care centres.
  • 7,015 clients received material supplies, such as diapers, formula, and clothing.
  • 1,624 clients were supported through parenting programs.
  • 624 women requested and received support after their abortion.

What’s at Stake

  • Pregnancy Care Canada and pregnancy care centres rely on donations. A policy to remove our charitable status could seriously harm our capacity to serve and care for clients.
  • The risk of imposed politically motivated “values tests” on all who serve in the charitable sector. One must consider the possibility and probability of other charitable organizations being targeted next.
  • The women, men, and children who receive support at pregnancy care centres are the ones who will ultimately suffer. Annually, thousands of the clients cared for are vulnerable, marginalized, struggling financially, and without adequate supports.

What You Can Do

  • Be aware of any policy platform targeting the charitable status of pregnancy care centres.
  • Be informed with the truth about the valuable work being done by PCC-affiliated centres.
  • Be an advocate – for your local pregnancy care centre and the vulnerable people they serve.

Download Fact Sheet here.

To learn more about Pregnancy Care Canada, please visit our website at pregnancycarecanada.ca. Sign-up for our e-newsletter, or reach out to us at [email protected].