Heartbeat International Now Has 4,000 Pregnancy Centers Helping Women Find Abortion Alternatives

Heartbeat International is celebrating the milestone of topping 4,000 affiliated pregnancy help service providers worldwide.

Heartbeat is the largest network of pregnancy help organizations in both the U.S. and globally, with 2,358 affiliated locations in the U.S. and 1,648 international locations. Pregnancy help providers include pregnancy centers and medical clinics, maternity homes, and non-profit adoptions agencies.

The milestone reached in November represents an over 400% increase in the number of affiliate locations since 2003 when statistics were first compiled and a nearly 40% increase in the last five years. Heartbeat is celebrating a high retention rate of its affiliates as well, at just below 90%.

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Heartbeat International began in November 1971 when Dr. John Hillabrand, a Toledo, Ohio, obstetrician, and Lore Maier, a refugee from Nazi Germany, formed Alternatives to Abortion, a network of hotlines and pregnancy help services. Hillabrand and Maier knew that legalized abortion would be rapidly spreading around the world, so they soon evolved into Alternatives to Abortion International (AAI).

The landmark U. S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision in January 1973 having nullified existing state abortion restrictions meant an expansion of abortion access across the U.S., and an underscored need for pregnancy help services for women facing unplanned pregnancy.

With a focus on the sanctity of life for women and their children, Heartbeat International’s stated vision is “a world where every new life is welcomed and children are nurtured within strong families, according to God’s plan, so that abortion is unthinkable.”

Its mission is “to reach and rescue as many lives as possible through an effective global network of life-affirming pregnancy help that renews communities for life.”

By 1993, the roughly 75 original AAI contacts had grown to around 200 affiliates and AAI changed its name to Heartbeat International. Heartbeat became the go-to source for pregnancy help start-up manuals, model programs, leadership training conferences, advice, and prayer. Its annual pregnancy help conference has remained a foundational gathering each year for the pregnancy help movement in the U.S. and internationally.

“What began as an affiliate list of around 200 people and locations has grown to more than 4,000, a powerful testament to the need and to the good people who respond to God’s call to speak life into dark situations,” said Heartbeat International President Jor-El Godsey. “When we join together as a network, we step into a shared calling, advancing a culture of life through faithful service, collaboration, and love in action.”

Current statistics show Heartbeat’s U.S.-affiliated pregnancy help centers numbering at 2,061, U.S. affiliated maternity housing organizations are 185, and U.S. affiliated adoption agency locations are 73.

Heartbeat is one of the three pregnancy help networks assessed in Charlotte Lozier Institute’s pregnancy center report, the most recent report finding that the 2,775 known pregnancy centers in the United States served more new clients, provided more medical care, and distributed more material goods in 2024 than ever before, while also increasing an already extraordinarily high satisfaction rate with clients. Of the pregnancy help centers known in the U.S. nearly 70% are Heartbeat International affiliates.

Along with its more than 2,300 U.S. affiliates, Heartbeat serves with joint-affiliated networks worldwide, including Pregnancy Care Canada (Formerly CAPSS), Centro de Ayuda para la Mujer Latinoamericana (CAM), Movimento per la Vita (MPV), ProVida – Spain, Be’ad Chaim – Israel, Pregnancy Help Network: Association for Life of Africa (AFLA), Pregnancy Support Services of Asia (PSSA), Pregnancy Help Network – South Africa, Pregnancy Help Australia.

Heartbeat’s annual latest Life Trends Report assessing its affiliated organizations found 2,164,043 total client visits at affiliated locations in 2024, up from 1,949,457 the previous year, and 770,799 unique clients visits in 2024. The report also found a 172-percent increase in pregnancy help organizations offering telecare in 2024, rising from 46 to 125 in just one year.

Heartbeat International has affiliated organizations in more than 100 countries worldwide.

“The growth is a result of many collaborative and organic efforts to simply serve our affiliates,” Heartbeat International Affiliation Coordinator Alaina Wood told Pregnancy Help News. “From our International Joint Affiliate Networks to the various departments of Ministry Services to Communications and Marketing, we all genuinely care about our mission and our affiliates.”

“We are all working to support our affiliates and as a result keep them informed and engaged in Heartbeat resources,” Wood said.

Heartbeat International affiliates can partake in education and training, affiliates-only materials, resource discounts, ePublications, discounted legal protection, the ability to be listed on the 24/7 multilingual referral hotline Option Line, retirement plan advice, web design services, professional on-site consultations, and grants.

Wood remarked about recent growth among the international joint affiliate networks, and specific to the U.S., affiliate growth with the expansion of Heartbeat’s operational Empower Life Grant into all 50 states.

“We have been deliberate about increasing our U.S. retention,” she said. “In 2015 the average retention rate was 75% and for the past few years it has not gone below 89%.”

Heartbeat International Director of Affiliate Services Kathy Jerman said the more than 4,000 affiliated pregnancy help service providers milestone represents the many doors open for women families around the world to find assistance and support.

“Surpassing 4,000 affiliate locations highlights Heartbeat International’s ongoing commitment to nurturing, equipping, and supporting pregnancy help organizations around the world,” she said.

“More than a number, this milestone represents thousands of doors open to women and families to receive trusted care, resources, and life-affirming options in moments that matter most,” said Jerman. “It also reflects the faithfulness, perseverance, and shared mission of leaders and teams serving on the front lines every day.”

“Together, this growing network strengthens communities and ensures that compassionate, Christ-centered care continues to reach those who need it most,” she added. “My heart is full of gratitude and joy for the entire Heartbeat team, whose passion, dedication, and servant leadership make it possible to serve our affiliates with excellence.”

LifeNews Note: Lisa Bourne is Managing Editor of Pregnancy Help News and Content Writer for Heartbeat International. This originally appeared at Pregnancy Help News.