The One of Us Federation includes a wide range of institutional actors, among them members of parliament and pro-life organizations. All of these actors, each in their own capacity, work to provide the concrete support that women facing difficult pregnancies need. To achieve this goal, life assistance centers are being established across Europe to ensure that women experiencing such pregnancies receive care and support from dedicated volunteers.
Psychological and Material Support
The support provided to women is consistently located near hospitals, allowing them to access both medical care and the assistance they need. Life Assistance Centers are found throughout Europe and have been expanding recently, as shown by the opening of the Life Center in Sisak, Croatia. Ante Čaljkušić, president of a Croatian pro-life association, described the purpose of this center as “a place of quick refuge for pregnant women in need, but also a space for counseling and healing the wounds of miscarriage.”
Social and Institutional Assistance
The first Life Assistance Center was established in Europe in 1975, in Florence. For the past 50 years, these centers have welcomed women facing various difficulties—from unexpected pregnancies to the deep anxiety experienced by couples expecting a child with an intellectual disability. These couples are offered comprehensive support, including medical, psychological, legal, emotional, and financial assistance.
Women who turn to Life Assistance Centers are often exposed to various vulnerability factors. Most are supported during their first pregnancy, and the majority are between 25 and 30 years old, often living alone. The mission of these centers is therefore both medical and psychological, offering human support as well. The concrete assistance provided by the centers extends as far as offering babysitting services for the baby during the first 12 months after birth. Support also includes providing essential supplies through donations of baby clothes and food.
Women’s testimonies highlight the value of their experiences
The concrete support provided to women is a key condition for enforcing European law, which seeks to guarantee women genuine freedom in choosing whether to continue or end a pregnancy. Nirvana, a 34-year-old woman who had previously undergone an abortion, shared her story at the conference “Real Choice Means Real Support” on October 15, 2025. She explained how contacting a maternity support organization enabled her to carry her third pregnancy to term: “For the first year and a half, I got help—diapers and baby food.”
The Need for an Information Relay at the European Level
As is the case with the Life Assistance Center established in Croatia, most centers are funded and run by pro-life organizations in each European country. These organizations serve as the main advocates for women experiencing difficult pregnancies within the European Parliament. The role of the One of Us Federation is to bring the message of these associations into the European parliamentary debate.
