Kansas has new report on first year of taxpayer funding for anti-abortion centers

The contractor administering a state taxpayer-funded anti-abortion program has submitted its required annual report.

The Kansas Pregnancy Care Network on Friday submitted its fiscal year 2024 report to State Treasurer Steven Johnson and the Legislature. The organization is in charge of administering $2 million appropriated by the Legislature for use by anti-abortion counseling centers.

Lynn Mowrey, executive director of the Kansas Pregnancy Care Network, said in a letter that is part of the report that the organization "made tremendous progress in delivering services to pregnant Kansas women, and we are meeting the goals and objectives of these Programs."

Kansas Pregnancy Care Network issues first report

"In less than ten months, KPCN has established a unique statewide network of subcontracting pregnancy resource centers, adoption agencies, maternity homes, and social service organizations," Mowrey wrote. "These non-profit entities, primarily staffed by volunteers and funded by charitable contributions, provide a range of services crucial to the well-being of vulnerable pregnant women."

Such centers, which are sometimes referred to as pregnancy resource centers or crisis pregnancy centers, are lauded by supporters for providing material goods — such as diapers, formula, car seats and cribs — and other forms of support to pregnant women and girls who may otherwise choose abortion.

But critics accuse them of misleading and misinforming people as they try to dissuade them from getting an abortion. One of the Kansas network's leaders, former Republican congressman Tim Huelskamp, was connected to a misleading text message sent to registered Democrats the day before the vote on the proposed anti-abortion constitutional amendment Value Them Both.

Following the failure of Value Them Both, anti-abortion lobbyists and legislators sought to support such counseling centers.

Last year, the Republican-led Legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's line-item veto to create the Alternatives to Abortion Program and appropriate $2 million in taxpayer funds. This year, lawmakers again overrode a veto to appropriate another year of $2 million in funding while renaming it the Pregnancy Compassion Awareness Program. Legislators also enacted a law creating a tax credit and a sales tax exemption to benefit the facilities.

The treasurer's office oversees the contract with the Kansas Pregnancy Care Network, which oversees the program. While the contract was set to expire June 30, it was expected to be renewed for another year. A renewal hadn't been posted to the state contracting database as of Friday afternoon.

State law and the contract required the contractor to submit a report to the state treasurer and the Legislature by June 30, and the report was required to include certain data on the program administration during fiscal year 2024.

Contractor reports 1,554 clients in first year of program

The contractor reported the following:

• 1,554 clients participated in the program.
• 2,993 case management hours of services were provided to clients.
• 150 clients were engaged in educational services or job training and placement activities.
• 484 babies were born to program participants.
• None of those babies were placed for adoption.
• 85 fathers participated in program services.
• $249,425 worth of material goods were provided to clients.
• A client satisfaction survey is being implemented.

The report included testimonials from anonymous participants, including one who said she considered getting an abortion in part because of her finances. Another, who was a pregnant college student, reported that the "resources enabled me to balance my studies & motherhood."

The report also noted that they have created a website, kansaspregnancycarenetwork.org, that lists program participants across the state. They also have a toll-free phone line, 855-753-5683, for callers and texters in both English and Spanish.

The report described trainings for new subcontractors, continued trainings for counselors, inspection of invoices and inspection of physical facilities as part of the quality assurance efforts.

"KCPN's commitment to administering this statewide program with full accountability is reflected in the resources we invest in evaluation, training, quality control, and monitoring," Mowrey wrote. "We will continue to ensure the Program is utilizing taxpayer dollars efficiently and effectively to improve the quality of services provided to the pregnant women of Kansas."

The network reported having 16 subcontractors with another 14 in the process of becoming approved.

Comments from unidentified program providers described using the funding to provide bilingual services, a wider selection of baby supplies, more parenting classes and hiring more staff.

The report said program providers currently have on staff:

• 13 medical doctors.
• 27 registered nurses.
• Four physician assistants.
• 10 radiologists and sonographers.
• 16 social workers
• "Numerous other licensed professionals."

Report comes after KDHE delays 2023 preliminary abortion statistics

The report from the anti-abortion program comes after news that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment won't release a preliminary report on 2023 abortion statistics. Secretary Janet Stanek declined to provide a reason for breaking with 24 years of agency tradition and instead delay the release of abortion data until the KDHE's annual vital statistics report, which might not be released until December.

The Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights, estimates that 20,630 abortions took place in Kansas in 2023. If that estimate is accurate, it would mark a 67% increase from the 12,317 abortions in 2022 reported by KDHE.

That 2022 data showed a spike in out-of-state patients getting abortions in Kansas following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which was followed by abortion bans or heavy restrictions in nearby states. The Kansas abortion statistics hit a 21-year high that year.

The Kansas Pregnancy Care Network's report stated that "the needs of pregnant women in Kansas are immense and growing, as more and more women, especially victims of abuse, human trafficking, and poverty, are desperately searching for the help and support they deserve."

Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.