What Abortion Numbers in Arkansas Reveal and Why Adoption Matters

When the numbers came out, they surprised many.

According to recent data from the July 2025 Arkansas Times article noted, “Arkansas decided that we don’t have any abortion. So, there is no counting mechanism in the state of Arkansas at this point.”

But while many are focused on how and where abortion is still happening, there’s a deeper question that deserves our attention: Why don’t more women consider adoption?

Table of Contents

• Adoption: The Overlooked Option
• Educating the Next Generation
• Lifetime’s Work in Arkansas
• What the Numbers Don’t Show
• A Life-Affirming Path

Adoption: The Overlooked Option

At Lifetime Adoption, we’ve walked alongside thousands of women facing unplanned pregnancies. We know that for many, parenting feels impossible, but adoption feels unthinkable. Comments like “I could never give my baby away” echo from pregnancy centers to college campuses.

Why? Because most people don’t know what adoption really is anymore.

Modern adoption looks very different than it did a generation ago. Today’s adoptions are often open, meaning birth parents can choose the adoptive family and stay in touch after placement, sometimes through texts, photos, even visits. Legal agreements called Post-Adoption Contact Agreements (PACAs) can help establish clear expectations and peace of mind for both sides.

Yet despite this, many women still believe adoption means saying goodbye forever, or that it means admitting failure, something that “bad mothers” choose. That stigma runs deep, and it keeps adoption out of the conversation entirely.

Educating the Next Generation

Arkansas has taken an important step by requiring adoption education in every K–12 classroom, something more states like Idaho are starting to implement. This matters. When young people learn about adoption as a loving, courageous option, not a last resort, they’re more likely to keep it in mind if they ever face an unplanned pregnancy or have a friend struggling to parent.

Adoption education is not about promoting adoption over parenting or abortion, it’s about ensuring all options are truly understood. When a woman knows what adoption can look like, she’s more empowered to make the right decision for herself and her child.

Lifetime’s Work in Arkansas

Lifetime Adoption is proud to be a licensed agency in Arkansas, offering support, guidance, and free services to women throughout the state. We work with women of all ages, backgrounds, and situations — many of whom never thought they’d consider adoption until they learned what was really possible.

One Arkansas woman we served, let’s call her Brittany, was a single mom already raising two children. She found out she was pregnant and didn’t see how she could handle another child. Parenting wasn’t an option, and she didn’t have the means to travel out of state for an abortion.

Through open adoption, Brittany was able to choose a loving couple to adopt her baby, receive ongoing updates and photos, and even visit her child a few times a year. She says, “I didn’t give my baby away. I gave him more than I could give at the time and I’ll always be part of his story.”

What the Numbers Don’t Show

The reports released last week rightly note that the data only reflect women with the means to access abortion, those who can take time off work, afford travel, and pay for telehealth appointments. The most vulnerable women are left behind.

That’s where adoption can fill a critical gap. It’s always free to the expectant mother. It includes practical help like housing, transportation, and counseling. And it offers a path forward that doesn’t require a woman to walk alone.

But for adoption to be truly accessible, we have to talk about it. We have to normalize it. We have to tell the stories that change hearts.

A Life-Affirming Path

This isn’t about politics or policy. It’s about people — women who are scared, hurting, and unsure of what to do next. The solution isn’t just to debate laws or data, it’s to meet them with hope and real choices.

Adoption isn’t for everyone. But it deserves to be part of the conversation, especially now.

“If a woman feels like she has no real options, we’re here to give her space to breathe, ask questions, and think clearly,” says Dina, an Adoption Coordinator with Lifetime. “Our job isn’t to push anyone toward adoption. It’s to support her in making an informed decision, one filled with hope instead of fear.”

If you or someone you know is facing an unplanned pregnancy in Arkansas, Lifetime Adoption is here to help. Our caring coordinators are available 24/7 to answer questions and offer support—no pressure, no judgment.

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