News Article

An early 2024 report from Equity Forward, a longtime critic of Real Alternatives, analyzed more than 400 pages of state contracts with the organization and questioned their spending, which is paid through the state’s federal allotment of dollars from its Temporary Assistance to Needy Families fund. In particular, Equity Forward criticized the organization for reporting that over half of its visits were spent on health “counseling,” such as fetal and pregnancy development, despite “almost never” being staffed by medical professionals. “Taxpayer funding supporting this dynamic – which has little to no regulation due to lacking medical provider status – should be of great concern,” the organization concludes.

As abortion access has become more restricted in the country, funding for such centers has increased. In the last two years alone, nearly $500 million in taxpayer dollars has been allocated to these centers, according to research compiled by Equity Forward, an abortion-rights watchdog organization. According to new research, there are nearly 3,000 anti-abortion centers in the United States, three times the number of abortion clinics in the country. Despite evidence of mismanagement and criticism of centers’ methods, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill earlier this year that would pave the way for anti-abortion centers to receive federal funding.

Last week, the Pueblo Board of County Commissioners approved a $650 payment to sponsor a 10-person table at A Caring Pregnancy Center’s annual fundraiser next month. On July 8, the Pueblo City Council voted 5-1 to spend $1,500 to sponsor the event.