Our history

Decades of helping women find a way forward.

The roots of the program reach back to a Pennsylvania initiative begun in the 1990s. What started as a statewide network became a model for coordinated pregnancy and parenting support across multiple states.

Built around local care

One mission, carried into communities.

Real Alternatives administers Indiana’s government-funded network of nonprofit service providers offering free, confidential, and non-discriminatory support. Indiana providers are staffed by trained counselors and monitored to maintain program standards.

In Pennsylvania, Real Alternatives privately supports referrals to independent community agencies. Those agencies manage their own day-to-day operations while providing local pregnancy and parenting support.

Real Alternatives provides statewide coordination and program oversight in Indiana, while in both states it helps women connect with organizations that understand the communities they serve.

30+ yearsfrom the earliest Pennsylvania initiative to today

515,482women served across Real Alternatives programs through September 30, 2026

2,320,751support visits documented through September 30, 2026

Milestones

A statewide idea becomes a broader model.

The major chapters are shown below. Expand any period to see additional milestones retained from the organization’s official history.

1993–97

Pennsylvania builds a statewide model

Public funding created a coordinated pregnancy and parenting support program serving women through local nonprofit organizations.

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Governor Robert P. Casey placed program funding in Pennsylvania’s state budget between 1993 and 1995.
The original Project Women in Need program worked with 72 centers and served 7,891 women from November 1995 through June 1997.
On July 1, 1997, Real Alternatives was awarded the statewide grant, added 18 pregnancy centers and implemented the 1-888-LIFE AID hotline.

1998–02

The program grows and attracts national attention

Funding, service volume and interest from other states increased as Pennsylvania demonstrated a replicable support model.

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Real Alternatives testified before a U.S. House subcommittee about the Pennsylvania program’s success.
Annual Pennsylvania funding increased from $3.1 million to $5.3 million, including federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds.
Real Alternatives educated organizations in several states, while Missouri and Louisiana moved forward with programs of their own.
During fiscal year 2001–2002, 15,202 Pennsylvania women received services.

2003–06

Accountability and replication become central

The organization paired program growth with measurement, nonprofit standards and technical guidance for other states.

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The Pennsylvania program reported an 8.54 percent administrative cost ratio in 2003.
Real Alternatives became one of the first four Pennsylvania nonprofits to earn the PANO Seal of Excellence and was twice named a Nonprofit Innovation Awards finalist.
By 2005, the Pennsylvania program had served more than 100,000 women through over 440,400 visits, and a Spanish-language website was introduced.
In 2006, Texas contracted with Texas Pregnancy Care Network to replicate the Pennsylvania model with Real Alternatives training and systems.

2007–12

Major milestones in service and stewardship

Pennsylvania reached record service levels while the model continued growing in Texas and gaining national visibility.

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Pennsylvania offered a five-year contract at $5.5 million annually, followed by combined program funding of $6.5 million in fiscal year 2007–2008.
The program served a record 19,747 Pennsylvania women during fiscal year 2007–2008.
Real Alternatives earned a second PANO Standards for Excellence certification, and a national film about the program was released in 2009.
Pennsylvania passed 150,000 women served in 2009, 175,000 in 2010 and 200,000 women through more than one million visits in 2012.

2013–15

The model expands to Michigan and Indiana

New statewide partnerships extended pregnancy and parenting support beyond Pennsylvania and Texas.

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Michigan launched a $700,000 pilot program in 2013 modeled on Pennsylvania’s system.
Indiana launched a $1 million pilot in 2014 for the northern half of the state.
By 2015, both programs had expanded statewide. Michigan funding increased to $800,000 annually and Indiana funding increased to $2 million annually.
The Pennsylvania program passed 249,500 women served through more than 1.3 million visits.

2016–20

State programs reach new levels of impact

Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania reported continued growth as the organization approached its twenty-fifth year of service.

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Indiana funding increased to $2.25 million annually, and Indiana providers reported more than 64,500 women served by 2019.
Real Alternatives passed 300,000 women served in 2018.
By 2019, programs had served more than 390,800 women through over 1.85 million visits.
In 2020, Pennsylvania marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of its Pregnancy and Parenting Support Services Program.

2021–25

Transparency recognition and continued growth

The organization continued publishing program results while earning increasing recognition for nonprofit transparency.

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Real Alternatives received Candid’s Gold Seal of Transparency in 2021 and again in 2023.
Program totals grew from more than 434,400 women served in 2022 to 487,831 women through 2,258,776 visits by June 2025.
Indiana providers reported 133,539 women served through 360,528 visits by June 2025.
Real Alternatives received Candid’s Platinum Seal of Transparency in 2025.

Today

515,482 women served

Real Alternatives continues connecting women and families with local pregnancy and parenting support in Indiana and Pennsylvania.

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The network includes pregnancy support centers, social service agencies, adoption agencies and maternity homes.
Participating organizations provide free, confidential counseling, mentoring, education and practical assistance.
The organization continues reporting milestones, monitoring contracted Indiana providers and sharing program updates with the public.

The complete record

Read the official year-by-year history.

The full ten-page chronology includes annual service totals, program funding changes, recognitions, quotations and additional milestones from 1993 through 2025.

Open printer-friendly history

1997Real Alternatives was awarded Pennsylvania’s statewide pregnancy and parenting support services grant

Accountability matters

Established support. Responsible stewardship.

From automated billing and statewide outcome measurement to repeated nonprofit standards certifications and Candid transparency recognition, accountability has remained part of the organization’s growth.

Real Alternatives monitors contracted Indiana service providers and reports program results so public and private partners can see how support reaches women and families.

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The mission continues

Support is available today.

Connect with a participating provider in Indiana or Pennsylvania.

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