Remarkable adaptability paired with consistent compassion over the course of 20 years is at the heart of Pregnancy Choices Lifecare Center in Apple Valley, Minn.
The center opened September 29, 2006, with a grassroots beginning, according to current executive director Lynesha Caron.
“What I love about our history is that the heart of the organization has stayed remarkably consistent,” Caron said. “Twenty years later, we are much larger and the way we serve people has evolved significantly, but we’re still here because people believed women facing an unexpected pregnancy deserved compassionate support and practical help.”
Since 2006 the center has evolved from mainly volunteers at the helm to a fully staffed medical center that serves women with comprehensive care and offers services for men as well.
In recent years, the center began offering ultrasounds five days a week as opposed to only twice a week.
“Supporting fathers has also become a significant part of our work,” Caron said. “We launched our Good Father Program in 2016, but building consistent male coverage took time. By 2019, we had two days a week of male coaching coverage. Today, we have male coaching available five days a week.”
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The center focuses heavily upon prevention in its services since adding an emphasis on relationship education in 2018 as staff presents in local schools.
“That work really began to take off in 2025,” said Caron. “For the 2026–2027 school year, based on what's already confirmed, we're projecting a 32% increase in students served.”
“But what's even more exciting is the depth of that engagement,” she added. “We're offering three times as many sessions to those students, with schools bringing us in for four, eight, or even 32 sessions throughout the year rather than a single presentation. Altogether, that represents about four times as many student classroom experiences. “
A major shift in their parenting program/prenatal education program occurred in 2013. The center added a life coaching model for staff to best meet the needs of clients. The former Executive Director Jeanette Meyer had undergone the life coach training on her own and had asked her board of directors if this could be implemented into the program at Pregnancy Choices Lifecare Center. Staff took part in training with Learning Journeys, an international coaching federation accredited school.
“(This life coaching model) really changed how we serve people” Caron said. “Instead of simply giving advice or information, our coaches help clients identify their values, explore possibilities, and make sustainable changes in their lives.”
This allows the staff to provide accompaniment for clients as they make life decisions.
The educational program is then tailored to each specific client’s needs. Curriculum and resources are provided for each client based on her/his life goals.
As the needs of clients evolved, the demographics began to shift as well.
Caron noted a significant trend in additional of Hispanic/Latino clients.
“Last year, they represented roughly half of the clients we served, and this year they're currently about 44%,” she said. “We've responded intentionally to that growth. Three of our six coaches are bilingual, which allows clients to receive coaching and support in the language they're most comfortable speaking.”
Clients tend to be older, averaging between 25 and 35 years old, and more clients are also in relationships.
“That matters because an unexpected pregnancy often isn't a decision or experience happening in isolation,” she said. “It reinforces why serving men and supporting healthy relationships have become such important parts of our work.”
Nearly half of clients entering the center are considering or committed to an abortion.
Caron said that as trends change and the center does its best to navigate and meet these needs, it can be frustrating when the general public does not understand the necessity of pregnancy centers.
“One of our greatest and most persistent hurdles has been the misunderstanding and misrepresentation of what pregnancy resource centers actually do,” she told Pregnancy Help News. “Over the past 20 years, we've seen that take different forms—from smear campaigns, consumer alerts, and vandalism targeting pregnancy centers to the loss of Minnesota's Positive Alternatives Grant funding.”
Despite these attacks, Caron said the center is committed to embracing the changes and staying consistent in care.
“What has carried us through is remaining grounded in the truth of our work,” she said. “We provide defined medical services, certified coaching, education, practical resources, and long-term support that give people the opportunity to see life as a viable option.”
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Pregnancy Choices Lifecare Center has changed the way it garners financial support as well. The center ceased annual galas due to Covid and has since been holding smaller, more intimate gatherings – as many as 10 per year.
“The people are genuinely invested in those gatherings,” Caron said, noting the more intimate settings and smaller amounts of people helps the staff and board to connect with supporters on a deeper level.
“It has really helped us build intentional relationships,” she said.
This year, however, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the center, a sold-out gala took place. The event was extremely successful, she said.
The next 20 years will bring more change and more shifts to meet the trends and needs of clients. Caron said she predicts the center will focus on responding to the increase in demand for the abortion pill.
“Pregnancy decisions are happening earlier, more privately, and increasingly online, which has changed both the landscape and our responsibility within it,” Caron said.
“Throughout our history, Pregnancy Choices has responded when the needs of our clients or changes in our culture have called us to something more,” she said. “We believe this moment requires us to continue finding thoughtful, compassionate ways to meet women and men earlier in the pregnancy decision.”
