Rep. Lanoue Visits Anchor of Hope in New London

Recently, I had the opportunity to tour Anchor of Hope in New London, CT, a non-profit organization that provides free, confidential services for women facing unplanned pregnancies. They offer medical services such as pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and STI testing, as well as counseling on parenting, adoption, and other important information. 

While they do not perform or refer for abortions, they focus on helping women understand all of their options and supporting them through whatever decision they make. Opened on Valentine’s Day in 1994, Anchor of Hope has helped guide thousands of women through their prenatal care journeys.

This was a meaningful and informative visit. We had the chance to see firsthand how Anchor of Hope walks alongside women and families. Here are some takeaways of my visit:  

• Educating women on all of their options and providing clear information.  

• Offering abortion pill reversal, when medically appropriate, by prescribing progesterone to attempt to reverse the effects of the abortion pill.  

• Provides ultrasounds performed by a trained nurse who measures the baby, checks for a heartbeat, and assesses whether it is a viable pregnancy, and explains these findings to the patient.  

• Ensuring that if a woman plans to continue her pregnancy, she is referred to an OB provider for ongoing prenatal care.  

• Protecting patient privacy by requiring a signed release before any information or ultrasounds are shared.

• Helping women without insurance get connected to coverage, including referral to the Husky program.  

• Collaborating with community organizations such as TVCCA and Safe Futures to address broader needs and connect clients with additional resources.  

• Providing educational groups for parents, in both English and Spanish, that help build parenting skills and create a supportive community of moms.  

• Offering services to dads as well, including classes on installing car seats, learning how to be a supportive father, and practical skills such as how to safely hold a baby.  

• Maintaining strict confidentiality to ensure that clients feel safe and respected when they come in for services.  

• Serving approximately 300 people each year for ultrasounds, with even more coming in for pregnancy testing and counseling.

• Offering new moms around eight months of pregnancy with a handmade baby blanket and a pack-and-play, and informing them about the orange bracelet campaign.  This campaign is a statewide quality improvement initiative to support ongoing efforts to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality in the postpartum period.

• Giving ongoing support by allowing women to return for monthly one-on-one visits with an advocate until their child is 2 years old.

Overall, the tour highlighted how Anchor of Hope provides not only medical and educational services, but also compassionate, long-term support for women, men, and families in our community.