Causes: Adoption, Children & Youth, Family Services for Adolescent Parents, Health, Reproductive Health Care, Reproductive Rights, Single Parent Agencies

Mission: APO envisions a world where children are not abused or neglected. We strive to see that children born from unplanned pregnancies are raised in nurturing families who are ready and prepared for them.

Programs: Unplanned Pregnancy Support Services:
• APO provides free, confidential pregnancy counseling and support services to women experiencing unplanned pregnancies. Services are provided regardless of age, race, income, religion, etc. The free pregnancy counseling is provided by our professional staff either in our office or in the client's home. Counseling is offered not only to the pregnant woman, but also to the father of the baby and any extended family member who needs assistance navigating the emotions that accompany an unplanned pregnancy.
• Transportation: For those in our counseling program who have no source of transportation, APO transports clients to doctor's appointments, dental appointments, etc.
• Medical Care: We guide women experiencing unplanned pregnancies in discovering what type of medical insurance coverage they have. If they do not have medical insurance, we will help them through the process of applying for Medicaid or CHIP. We can also assist in locating healthcare/prenatal care.
• Food/Shelter/Clothing: We help clients in needs of these basic necessities find resources to meet their needs. -----Outreach to Teen Parents (The Mama Club, Real Men, & Parent Academy):
• Each of APO's three specialized parenting programs (The Mama Club, The Real Men, and Parent Academy) work to point young, single parents to Christ and to impart sound, protective parenting skills to ensure the health and well-being of their babies. Last year alone, APO had an impact on 280 teen parents and children.
• In 2006, APO added the The Mama Club for teen moms in conjunction with Young Life of the Brazos Valley. We added Real Men for the teen dads in 2010.There was a consistent trend seen in our pregnancy counseling; the younger the client and the more cycles of poverty, abuse and neglect she was already experiencing, the more likely she was to want to parent her baby. Some teens were getting pregnant intentionally - hoping a baby would make them feel loved or would make the father stay. These situations were set-ups for disaster for the child. Statistics tell us their children face an 80% higher risk for abuse and neglect. APO was compelled to extend services to teen parents in order to help them and their babies. The Mama Club typically attracts teens from underprivileged families and especially from families where the teens receive little to no emotional or financial support.
• Each week at The Mama Club/Real Men, teen parents sit down to a free meal and enjoy a place where they feel accepted and loved. Their children are cared for in our nursery staffed by volunteers. Aggie Young Life leaders make the evening come alive with games and skits before the teens settle down for the club talk. This is the time where they learn parenting skills and hear about the love Christ has for them. Afterward, teens break into small groups led by Mentor Moms and Dads where they discuss the lesson and have an opportunity to process it verbally.
• At the end of each weekly event, the young parents receive a free bag of diapers and wipes, have access to free formula, and books for their children. They can "shop" at the "Mama Store" spending Mama Bucks they earned by participating in the Mama Club. The Mama Store is stocked with new and gently used clothes, newborn - 5T, baby gear, and maternity clothes. -----Adoption Services:
• Aggieland Pregnancy Outreach is licensed by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to provide full adoption services. We serve birth families as well as adoptive families. Adoption creates an avenue for children to thrive in two-parent, Christian families when birthparents are not ready for parenting. Open adoption allows the adopted child to have an on-going relationship with his or her birth family. To date, 117 children have found their adoptive parents through the ministry of APO.
• It is our desire to do all things with excellence. That includes the counseling care of our birth families (birthmother, birthfather, and extended family members). We assist birth families tin the Bryan/College Station area and throughout the state through counseling, support groups, navigating medical insurance coverage and locating prenatal and healthcare services, transportation, child birth classes, and overall support and care. Post adoption care is also a priority as we provide emotional support during the grieving process and remain available through the years to follow. APO handles all the legal details of adoption and there is no cost to birth families for any of our adoption services.
• Adopting couples are Christians who have been married at least three years. They come from all over the state of Texas. Each couple has been vetted through our thorough home study process. This includes, but is not limited to, background checks, references, financial stability, safety of the home, etc.