Pre-Budget Consultation for Federal Budget

August 22, 2025

Earlier this summer, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance invited Canadians to participate in its annual pre-budget consultation process.[1] Pregnancy Care Canada welcomed the opportunity to share our concerns about recommendations from the previous budget process.

Our formal written submission is below.

By: Pregnancy Care Canada

Date Submitted: July 7, 2025

List of Recommendations

Recommendation 1: That the government ensure charitable status continues for organizations offering medically accurate pregnancy care support, including those that do not provide or refer for abortions.

Recommendation 2: That the government reject Recommendation 429 from the December 2024 Finance Committee Report, which seeks to remove charitable status from “anti-abortion organizations,” as this lacks clarity and risks harm to thousands of Canadians receiving support at local pregnancy care centres.

Recommendation 3: That the government retain the “advancement of religion” as a charitable purpose under the Income Tax Act, recognizing the wide-reaching community and social benefit of faith-based organizations.

Recommendation 4: That any future legislation or policy changes affecting pregnancy care organizations be developed in direct consultation with sector experts, such as Pregnancy Care Canada, to ensure fairness, clarity, and the continued protection of women’s access to diverse reproductive support services.

Introduction

Pregnancy Care Canada is a national, best-practice, faith-based affiliation of over 80 local pregnancy care centres and online support.

In 2024 alone, PCC-affiliated centres provided care for over 52,000 client visits, supporting individuals from diverse faiths, cultural backgrounds, and socioeconomic circumstances. All services, such as pregnancy options support, material supplies, parenting programs, and support after an abortion, are voluntarily requested and offered free of charge. 

We are submitting this brief in response to Recommendations 429 and 430 of the December 2024 Finance Committee Report, and to proposed legislative changes announced by the government on October 29, 2024, which threaten to remove charitable status from pregnancy care organizations that do not refer for or provide abortions.

Recommendation 1: Ensure Charitable Status for Pregnancy Support Charities

PCC-affiliated centres already comply with best-practice transparency standards. Clients are informed at the outset that centres do not provide or assist in arranging abortions. These limitations are disclosed on websites and in writing. Importantly, before receiving services at a pregnancy care centre, every client reads and signs a Limitation of Services form, which clearly indicates that the centre does not provide or assist in arranging for abortions. Centres refer clients to their primary care physician for needs outside the scope of services offered by the centre.

Contrary to some public mischaracterizations, PCC-affiliated centres do not mislead or obstruct client decisions. Pregnancy care centres offer a safe environment for a woman to make a pregnancy decision that is fully informed, evidence-based, and free from external pressure. Our primary resource for options discussions—the Pregnancy Options Guide—has been reviewed by over 80 Canadian health professionals, including obstetricians, nurses, and ethicists.

We recommend that the government ensure charitable status continues for organizations offering medically accurate pregnancy care support, including those that do not provide or refer for abortions.

Recommendation 2: Reject Recommendation 429

Recommendation 429 proposes to “no longer provide charitable status to anti-abortion organizations,” without clearly defining what constitutes “anti-abortion.” This ambiguity places hundreds of legitimate charities at risk.

Stripping status from ethical charities due to ideological disagreement would harm thousands of Canadians who voluntarily access these services, especially vulnerable women facing unplanned pregnancies.

We recommend that the government reject Recommendation 429 from the December 2024 Finance Committee Report, which seeks to remove charitable status from “anti-abortion organizations,” as this lacks clarity and risks harm to thousands of Canadians receiving support at local pregnancy care centres.

Recommendation 3: Retain Advancement of Religion as a Charitable Purpose

Recommendation 430 proposes removing “advancement of religion” from charitable purposes under the Income Tax Act. This could jeopardize the operations of faith-based organizations, including many pregnancy care centres.

Religious charities play a vital role in Canadian social support systems, providing services such as shelters, food banks, counselling, addiction help, and pregnancy care support. Eliminating this category would unfairly impact vulnerable populations who depend on faith-based compassion and care.

We urge the government to retain this designation and recognize the social cohesion and support that religious charities offer.

We recommend that the government retain the “advancement of religion” as a charitable purpose under the Income Tax Act, recognizing the wide-reaching community and social benefit of faith-based organizations.

Recommendation 4: Consult with Sector Experts

The government’s October 2024 announcement outlines new disclosure rules for pregnancy care charities. While PCC supports transparency, the requirement for transparency must be fair, evidence-based, and free from discrimination.

PCC-affiliated centres already meet a high standard of transparency and best practices, including written and verbal disclosure of service limitations. The government’s framing implies otherwise and risks stigmatizing organizations offering vital alternatives to abortion.

We strongly recommend that any future legislation or regulatory changes impacting pregnancy care organizations be developed in direct consultation with sector experts and frontline providers, such as Pregnancy Care Canada, to ensure fairness, clarity, and the continued protection of women’s access to diverse reproductive support services.

Further, beyond urging a general practice of consultation on these matters, we specifically and formally request consultation with the Department of Finance, Canada Revenue Agency, Women and Gender Equality Canada, and the appropriate Ministers before any legislative or regulatory changes are developed that would impact our sector.

Conclusion

For women to truly have reproductive freedom and choice regarding their unplanned pregnancy, they must have authentic options to choose from, including the option to continue their pregnancy and receive support.

Pregnancy Care Canada and our network of 81 affiliated pregnancy care centres provide this support with transparency, compassion, and medical accuracy. 

We respectfully request that the Government of Canada preserve the charitable status of our work, ensure fair treatment of faith-based organizations, and engage in open consultation as it considers future legislative direction.

Sincerely,

Laura Lewis, MD, CCFP
Executive Director, Pregnancy Care Canada