How to Take Action and Talk to Children about Abortion and Reproductive Rights

Last week, the Supreme Court overturned the nearly 50-year-old ruling that provided access to safe abortions. This ruling threatens the rights of our children, our educators, and our communities.

This decision is about more than just abortion access; it’s about health equity, racial justice, and the future of our children. Inequities in our healthcare system and access to safe abortion already disproportionately impact people of color, and this ruling will exacerbate that impact.

The ripple effects of this decision will be felt in every classroom and every school hallway—from jeopardizing the creation of the safe and supportive environments necessary for learning and thriving to making it more difficult to support an already stressed, overworked, and shrinking workforce of educators. Students might not be able to get the healthcare they need; students might be afraid to talk to adults in schools, interfering with the relationships that we know are critical for thriving; educators might be unsure about the ways they can support students or even what they’re allowed to say in the classroom.

Turnaround staff has gathered resources on taking action and talking to children about abortion and reproductive health.

Resources

• The Center for Reproductive Rights shares seven things you can do to support abortion rights.
• The National Network of Abortion Funds allows you to find your local abortion fund to donate, get involved, or access resources.
• The Planned Parenthood Action Fund offers several ways to get involved, including finding local events, sharing your story, and volunteering nationally or locally.
• Planned Parenthood suggests supporting your local Planned Parenthood and local abortion providers through the Keep Our Clinics campaign.
• Parents.com offers a guide to talking about abortion and reproductive health in a way that children can understand.
• The Guttmacher Institute has a page featuring evidence on who will be most impacted by the Supreme Court’s decision, shareable graphics, informational videos and more.