02/03/2006

Florida State Grant Program to Reduce Abortion
the use of marketing and a unique 24-hour call center to help women facing unplanned pregnancies find alternatives to abortion

STERLING, Va., Feb. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- Care Net announced Thursday an unprecedented development regarding the use of marketing and a unique 24-hour call center to help women facing unplanned pregnancies find alternatives to abortion. The State of Florida has allocated $2 million to fund a new program to promote alternatives to abortion and support the work of pregnancy centers throughout Florida. This new program will be administered by the Florida Pregnancy Care Network (FPCN). The Option Line call center, jointly owned and operated by Care Net and Heartbeat International, has been retained by the FPCN to serve as the official call center for this new state program. The Option Line (800-395-HELP) currently receives more than 10,000 calls, e-mails, and instant messages per month from women across North America who are facing an unplanned pregnancy. Now, it will be expanded to serve an even greater number of women in Florida and connect them with the help of a local pregnancy center.

Care Net President Kurt Entsminger praised the State of Florida and those involved in the initiative for its innovation and efficiency. “By utilizing the Option Line, this program will involve a call center that has proven effectiveness in meeting the task at hand: caring for women facing unplanned pregnancy, connecting them with local help, and ultimately, helping to reduce the number of abortions.” Research shows that seven out of ten women who contact the Option Line are considering abortion. After visiting pregnancy centers, most women will choose to carry their pregnancy to term. “Care Net is enthusiastic about this new program, which allows meaningful participation by faith-based organizations. We believe that if this program is tested over time, we will see a significant reduction in the number of abortions in the state of Florida.”

The FPCN will launch an advertising campaign modeled after Option Line marketing efforts. English and Spanish commercials as well as Internet ads will promote a newly-created Florida 1-800 number that will ring directly into the Option Line call center in Columbus, Ohio. All Florida pregnancy centers currently receiving phone calls through the Option Line will be immediately eligible to receive phone calls made to the new 1-800 number. These centers all abide by the standards set forth in the Option Line’s C ommitment of Care.

The Florida program will also involve the reimbursement of qualified pregnancy centers for counseling services that abide by Florida’s faith- based initiative guidelines. The FPCN will allocate the state funds to those pregnancy centers that wish to participate and have been trained and approved by the FPCN.

Care Net is a non-profit organization that supports a network of 900 pregnancy resource centers in North America. These centers offer free pregnancy tests, peer counseling, post-abortion support and other practical help to empower women and men facing pregnancy-related concerns.