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By JOYANNA LOVE/Managing Editor

Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center of Chilton County will kick-off its parenting classes for women on June 22.

Executive Director Ashley Liveoak announced the date during a presentation to the Clanton Kiwanis Club on June 4.

The classes will be taught by Marc and Patricia Hodges.

“Whether they are going to be raising their child alone or with their significant other or husband … we want to equip them — what to expect at birth, what to expect in the first year of baby’s life and then parenting techniques,” Liveoak said. “We have a waiting list. Our clients are eager to learn how to parent, and I think that says a lot.”

Classes for fathers will be added later this year.

She said the organization really wants to be a family resource center to give parents encouragement and resources to help their child.

Additional resources available through Care Net include free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, prenatal vitamins and help signing up for medical insurance.

“We just meet the women that come into our clinic right where they are,” Liveoak said. “We see a wide range of things. It could be a meth addict coming in, and they are pregnant. It could be they have mental health problems, and they are pregnant. They could be low income, and they don’t know what to do. They could be on child number five and don’t know how they are going to support or pay for another child … We just meet them where they are nonjudgmental. We just offer the love of Christ.”

In the past few weeks, the clinic has seen “several clients come in, and I’m sure that has to do with COVID, not having a job or loss of job, that have been abortion minded, either that or the father has pushed for them to abort the baby.”

“With that we just encourage them and tell them that we are here for you every step of the way throughout this entire pregnancy,” Liveoak said.

She said seeing an ultrasound often has an impact on a woman’s decision.

“If a woman comes in, and they are abortion minded, and they see an ultrasound and they see that baby in their womb, they are 80 percent more likely to change their mind and have the baby,” Liveoak said.

The office is in the process of securing funds to replace its ultrasound machine, which is 10 years old.

The organization lets women know about adoption agencies available as an option.

“We can’t make the decision for them,” Liveoak said.

Care Net also serves women who have chosen abortion in the past through its “Forgiven and Set Free” Bible study. Liveoak emphasized that everyone has done things they regret “but through God’s redeeming love it doesn’t matter what we did he can save us, and he can help us and set us free.”

She said the class includes counselors to help women deal with the emotional and mental aftermath of abortion.

Care Net is funded through donations, purchases of pro-life license plates at the Chilton County Tag Office and grants. A grant through Vitamin Angels allows the organization to give expectant mothers prenatal vitamins for free.

Liveoak said community members can support the organization through prayer, monetary donations, purchasing items on its Amazon wish list, volunteering or serving on the nonprofit’s board.

Volunteers are especially needed for Wednesday afternoon.

Care Net is open Tuesday and Wednesday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m

Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center of Chilton County can be contacted at 205-755-6767 or exec.director@carenetchilton.org.

The organization is an affiliate of the national Care Net organization.