Affiliation FAQs

Are you thinking about becoming a Care Net affiliated pregnancy center? Below are a series of Frequently Asked Questions. If you need additional information or support, please contact our Center Development office at 703.554.8753.

What is Care Net?
How much does it cost to be a Care Net affiliate?
What are the Care Net Standards of Affiliation?
What is required of our center in connection with the Care Net initial on-site training?
Why should our center consider joining Care Net if we are already a member of another pregnancy organization?
I want to start a pregnancy center in my community. Where do I start?
I want to volunteer at a pregnancy center. What do I do next?

What is Care Net?

Care Net was originally founded as the Christian Action Council in 1975, a pro-life ministry that worked to end abortion in practical, compassionate ways. In 1980, the Christian Action Council changed its name to Care Net and opened its first pregnancy center in Baltimore, Maryland.

Since then, Care Net has grown to become the largest affiliation network of pregnancy centers in North America, with more than 1,100 pregnancy centers serving women and men in their local communities. Care Net assists the work of our local affiliated centers through professional consulting and trainings; innovative resources and programs; and national advertising on radio, television, and the Internet.

In addition, Care Net jointly operates the Option Line 24/7 call center with Heartbeat International. The Option Line is a bilingual contact center that connects clients to local pregnancy centers. Clients can contact the Option Line through phone, instant messaging, and e-mail.

Care Net is currently located west of Washington, D.C. in Lansdowne, Virginia on the beautiful campus of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

How much does it cost to be a Care Net affiliate?

New Care Net affiliates pay no fees for the first two years of affiliation! Following this introductory period, Care Net's annual affiliation fee is $350.00. A discount is available for centers already affiliated with another national pregnancy center organization, such as Heartbeat International. Scholarships are available for centers in need, and are available on a first come, first served basis. Applications can be obtained by contacting our affiliation department at centerdevelopment@care-net.org.

What are the Care Net Standards of Affiliation?

Each Care Net member center is required upon initial affiliation and upon annual renewal to certify their agreement to abide by the following standards:

What is required of our center in connection with the Care Net initial on-site training?

New Care Net affiliates are required to host an on-site training during the first year of affiliation. During this onsite visit, the consultant will conduct volunteer, director, and board trainings with the purpose of enabling your center to most effectively reach its mission of ministering to women in need. Each new affiliate is asked to cooperate closely with Care Net in scheduling this training and in completing the appropriate paperwork to assist the Care Net consultant in learning more about your center before the training is conducted. Prior to hosting this on-site training, your center will be requested to complete a Care Net Legal Review so that you can receive an assessment of the legal soundness of your center operations. Although the training itself is free to new affiliates, your center will be responsible for paying the reasonable travel expenses incurred by the Care Net consultant, including lodging and meals.

What others have said about Care Net Training:

"Our consultant was able to give us clear directions- which roads to take, how to avoid potholes, and when to stop or change direction."
"Our Care Net Board Consultation was probably the best thought out, structured and clear presentation I’ve ever experienced."
"The seminar gave us a general overview of a successful center and pointed to ways in which we can achieve our goal of serving our clients."
"We have been positively energized and excited
about the future."
"The training seminar really opened my eyes to what is needed in the counseling room– a listening heart, compassion and truth."

Why should our center consider joining Care Net if we are already a member of another pregnancy organization?

As a member of another organization, your center may already be receiving many similar benefits that are provided through Care Net affiliation. However, dual affiliation may still greatly strengthen your center outreach by affording access to other specialized trainings, resources, and programs that are not offered through your current affiliation relationship. Care Net offers a number of unique services, including client marketing trainings and consultations, web design templates offered through the E-Xtend program, yellow page ad assistance, as well as a host of other relevant benefits. Care Net and its sister organizations, such as Heartbeat International and NIFLA, encourage dual affiliations by offering substantial dual affiliation discounts.

I want to start a pregnancy center in my community. Where do I start?

The first step is determining what pregnancy center services are already offered in your community. For a listing of pregnancy centers in your area, visit www.optionline.org and type in your zip code. This will help you assess the need for another center, or possibly show you where you could plug in your passion with an existing ministry. The next step would be to contact Care Net's department of Center Development at centerdevelopment@care-net.org and request an informational packet for developing a Care Net pregnancy center. We also recommend the purchase of Care Net’s How to Start a CPC manual. This can be ordered in our online bookstore or by calling 1.800.237.5030.

I want to volunteer at a pregnancy center. What do I do next?

Care Net pregnancy centers rely heavily on volunteers to minister to women in need. Each center recruits and trains their own volunteers, so contacting the center directly is important. For a listing of pregnancy centers in your area, visit www.optionline.org and type in your zip code.

Though not all centers listed are Care Net affiliates, all centers listed abide by our Commitment of Care.

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