I’m Confused – What Do You Do?

We provide a different scope of services that more closely align with our mission.

What is a Pregnancy Resource Center and how are you different from Planned Parenthood?

Pregnancy Resource Centers of Central Oregon has been serving Deschutes and Jefferson Counties since 1994. Although we cannot speak for every pregnancy resource center, we can clearly discuss how our centers differ from Planned Parenthood.

The major differences can be divided into 3 basic areas

  • Funding
  • Services
  • Care

 

Funding:

PRCCO is a nonprofit organization and receives its funding from private donors. We do not receive any public funding from the state or our local government. Because of this we operate on a modest and strict budget and limit the scope of our services to support our mission and vision. According to its financial statements for 2014 the combined annual revenue for Planned Parenthood in the US is $1.3 billion, including approximately $530 million in government funding such as Medicaid reimbursements.

Services:

This is where things are similar, yet different. Our primary services include medical grade pregnancy testing, limited obstetrical ultrasounds, pregnancy consulting, and parenting education.  It is our understanding that Planned Parenthood offers many of these services as well. Our centers do not offer on-going prenatal care, abortions or birth control while Planned Parenthood typically does.

The scope of our services is very specific and we focus on the positive life-changing opportunity a pregnancy can bring into the life of a woman and the father of the baby. Our objective is not to coerce or manipulate any decision. Instead we focus on how we can help a woman make the best decision for her future in light of a planned or unplanned pregnancy.  We take the time to communicate and discuss all of her options and to give her a safe place to think through how a pregnancy can impact her life and future, both negatively and positively.

Care:

Although we are a medical facility, just as Planned Parenthood is, we provide a higher level of personal care. Many of our staff and volunteers have experienced abortions and unplanned pregnancies with various outcomes so they are able to relate to the emotions our clients are facing. We understand the difficult physical, mental, emotional and spiritual struggles that come with the decision to become a parent, choose adoption or have an abortion. Our services are designed to walk alongside a woman or man who is looking for immediate care, ongoing support, education and encouragement. Our consultants follow up with clients on a regular basis (with their permission, if that is what they want) to check in to see how they are doing.  We offer parenting classes and build relationships with our clients and help them find  access to the support and resources we are connected to within the community.

Are we different from Planned Parenthood? Yes and no. 

We offer many of the same services and yet often the scope of our services are different.  We can say with certainty that we appreciate that Planned Parenthood provides services that help women with their medical needs. We hope that anyone reading this article would understand that we do not stand against Planned Parenthood, we simply choose to provide a different scope of services that more closely align with our mission.

 

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If you are looking for a place to assist you with your prenatal care, you are welcome at the Pregnancy Resource Centers of Central Oregon.  All of our services are offered for free and we offer the highest quality of care, compassion and answers to help you with your pregnancy decision.  Make an appointment today.