A pregnancy resource center (PRC), also called a crisis pregnancy center (CPC), is a nonprofit organization that provides free services to people facing unplanned pregnancies. Most are faith-based and operated by Christian organizations with a mission to support alternatives to abortion. As of 2019, roughly 2,537 of these centers operate across the United States, outnumbering the country’s 780 abortion-providing clinics by more than three to one.
These centers are distinct from comprehensive reproductive health clinics. They typically do not provide or refer for abortions, and most do not offer contraception. Understanding what they do and don’t offer is important if you’re evaluating your options during a pregnancy.
Services Typically Offered
Most pregnancy resource centers provide free pregnancy testing and, in some cases, limited ultrasound imaging. Beyond confirming a pregnancy, centers commonly offer parenting classes, material support like diapers, baby clothing, and car seats, and referrals to community resources such as housing assistance or adoption agencies. Some locations run mentoring programs that pair clients with volunteers for ongoing support.
Many centers also provide post-abortion emotional support, either through one-on-one conversations or small group settings. These programs are framed as healing and restoration services and are a core offering at centers across multiple networks.
What you generally will not find at a pregnancy resource center: abortion services, contraception, STI testing and treatment, prenatal medical care, or referrals for abortion. This is a fundamental difference from full-service reproductive health clinics, which offer a broad range of family planning and medical services.
Who Runs These Centers
The vast majority of pregnancy resource centers are affiliated with one of two major Christian networks. Heartbeat International, the larger of the two, has supported or started over 3,500 pregnancy help locations on every inhabited continent since 1971. Care Net, the other major network, operates affiliates only in the U.S. and Canada and focuses specifically on pregnancy centers while also working with local churches.
Care Net requires its affiliated centers to comply with 15 standards of affiliation, including annual compliance certificates and statistical reporting. Both networks describe their mission in explicitly Christian terms, aiming to equip Christian communities to offer alternatives to abortion. Individual centers may vary in how prominently they present their religious orientation to clients walking through the door.
Staffing and Volunteer Training
Pregnancy resource centers rely heavily on volunteers. The people you interact with during a visit may not be licensed medical professionals. Client-facing roles like “client advocate” typically require completing a training program run by the center itself. At one representative center, this training consists of six sessions spread over three weeks, totaling roughly 20 hours. A one-day orientation is the minimum for other volunteer roles.
Some centers do employ or contract licensed nurses or sonographers, particularly those offering ultrasound services. However, the counseling and informational conversations you have at a PRC are generally conducted by trained volunteers, not healthcare providers. This distinction matters because the quality and accuracy of information can vary significantly from center to center.
Concerns About Medical Accuracy
The information provided at many pregnancy resource centers has drawn criticism from medical organizations. The AMA Journal of Ethics published an analysis concluding that the counseling provided at these centers on abortion and contraception “falls outside accepted medical standards” for evidence-based information.
Specific concerns include centers suggesting a link between abortion and serious mental health problems, a claim that multiple studies have not supported. Some centers cite a debunked association between abortion and breast cancer. Others portray abortion as a dangerous or deadly procedure, even though research consistently shows it is statistically safer than childbirth. Centers also tend to avoid discussing contraception and may dismiss the role of condoms in preventing sexually transmitted infections.
The AMA analysis noted that regardless of whether a particular location holds a medical license, many centers “engage in counseling that is misleading or false.” This does not mean every center provides inaccurate information, but it reflects a pattern documented across the broader network of PRCs nationwide.
Privacy and Legal Protections
One important consideration: pregnancy resource centers that do not employ healthcare providers or bill insurance may not qualify as “covered entities” under HIPAA, the federal law that protects your medical records. HIPAA applies to health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and most healthcare providers. If a center operates purely as a nonprofit staffed by volunteers, it may not be legally bound by the same privacy rules that govern a doctor’s office or hospital. This means the personal information you share during a visit may not have the same legal protections you’d expect in a medical setting.
Some states have attempted to require pregnancy resource centers to disclose whether they are licensed medical facilities or to post notices about state-funded reproductive health programs. In 2018, the Supreme Court struck down a California law that imposed such requirements. In NIFLA v. Becerra, the Court ruled that compelling centers to post government-drafted notices violated the First Amendment. The Court found the law was “wildly under-inclusive,” applying only to a narrow slice of clinics serving pregnant women, and that the state had not shown less restrictive alternatives would fail. This decision effectively blocked similar disclosure laws around the country, meaning centers are generally not required to inform you about services they don’t provide.
How to Identify a Pregnancy Resource Center
Pregnancy resource centers sometimes use names that sound similar to medical clinics, which can make them difficult to distinguish from comprehensive healthcare providers. If you’re trying to determine what type of facility you’re considering, look for a few indicators. Centers affiliated with Care Net or Heartbeat International will often list that affiliation on their website. Language emphasizing “free services,” “alternatives to abortion,” or faith-based messaging is common. The absence of contraception, STI testing, or abortion from the services page is another clear signal.
In some states, the concentration of PRCs relative to abortion providers is dramatic. Missouri, for example, has 69 pregnancy resource centers and just one abortion facility. Depending on where you live, a PRC may be far more accessible than a full-service reproductive health clinic, which makes understanding the differences between the two especially practical when deciding where to seek care.