LITTLE ROCK, Ark – Reaction is still pouring in from all around the country following the Supreme Court’s monumental ruling on Roe V. Wade.
In Arkansas, many people say the ruling is bringing up questions about the states access to healthcare for pregnant women in need.
“If you’re going to put a woman in a situation where she has to have a child, then it shouldn’t be that hard for her to take care of that child,” said one woman in Little Rock.
The woman we spoke in Downtown Little Rock wanted to remain anonymous. She told our station that she used to work for Planned Parenthood. She says organizations who help expecting mothers are going to need more funding in the months to come.
“There are not enough resources available,” said the woman.
The woman says she believes birth rates will increase following the ruling and organizations that provide resources need to catch up.
“Life means having adequate health insurance, to make sure the child has all the things they need once they get here,” said the woman.
“Women will need more support than they ever have before,” said Executive Director at the Arkansas Pregnancy Resource Center Shelly Lewis.
According to Lewis, Arkansas Pregnancy Resource Center has been serving women in Little Rock for 35 years.
Lewis says the program works to provide women with pregnancy tests and medical carefree of charge.
“We want to provide a safe, caring, and compassionate environment for them that lets them know they are not alone,” said Lewis.
Lewis says the organization served nearly 1,000 women last year with numbers expected to increase following the ruling.
She says the organization does its best to provide free healthcare to women, but emotional support is slightly more challenging.
The organization provides parenting courses for clients, something Lewis says she wants to see expand in the coming years.
“They need somebody to listen to, they’re just afraid about what this means for their life going forward and how it impacts their plans,” said Lewis.
Lewis says they always need more volunteers.
“We are not enough on our own,” said Lewis.
Lewis says in the months to come she’s hoping more will step up so the care provided and rise to meet what she says will be a greater need.
Governor Hutchinson addressed the subject on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday. In an interview he said he wanted to increase funding for pregnancy resource centers in the state.
