Last Monday, construction began on the first ever maternity home for college students. Located next to Belmont Abbey College, near Charlotte, NC, the home serves an extremely essential purpose in the pro-life movement. College students with planned and unplanned pregnancies face a great deal of pressure and discrimination as they struggle to maintain their academic and personal lives. According to the Guttmacher Institute, approximately 71% of post-abortive women say that they had an abortion because having a child would interfere with their education or career. This maternity home presents an ideal solution to the pregnant college student. It will give them the necessary resources to continue their education both during and after pregnancy.
This 10,000 square foot facility will include two residential wings with private rooms for pregnant women and mothers with young children. The residents will be required to enroll either at Belmont or another school nearby. According to a press release, the program will also offer classes in life skills, parenting, cooking, financial planning and a Bible study. Not only does this home extend hope to pregnant students, it provides a ray of hope to the pro-life movement. College is a unique time period, where people’s views regarding the sanctity of life are formed, for better or for worse. According to the Guttmacher Institute, “women in their twenties account for more than half of all abortions.” As the pro-life trend continues to gain momentum, Belmont Abbey serves as a model example for campuses across the nation.
