Chicago Abortion Fund Marks Fourth Anniversary of Fall of Roe v Wade With Record Numbers
Chicago Abortion Fund Marks Fourth Anniversary of Fall of Roe v Wade With Record Numbers
Over 60,000 callers have been served and over $25 million has been distributed by CAF since the Dobbs decision in June of 2022
CHICAGO, IL– June 17, 2026 – The Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF) marked the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade with new data that shows that abortion continues to be a common and vital healthcare decision made by thousands of people a year. Despite ever-increasing barriers to access and attempts to criminalize and stigmatize those seeking and providing care, CAF continues to provide individualized and compassionate care for a record number of callers.
Since the fall of Roe, CAF has:
assisted over 60,000 callers
distributed over $25,000,000 in direct support dollars. In addition to appointment costs, this includes wraparound support like travel costs, assistance with childcare, lodging, meal vouchers, and more.
Expanded Helpline staffing, including bilingual and after-hours support
Launched the Complex Abortion Regional Line for Access (CARLA), a first in the nation hospital navigation program for complex abortion care
Partnered with 7 abortion clinics and one hospital statewide to embed in-clinic patient navigators that can streamline access to CAF’s support
Convened the Illinois Abortion Access Collaborative, a coalition of leaders in the Illinois abortion landscape to strengthen the existing access ecosystem in Illinois.
CAF saw its busiest quarter ever in its more than 40 year history to start 2026, and that pace has continued. In the first five months of 2026, CAF served 15% more callers than in the same time period of 2025, but distributed 76% more in financial assistance. Rising gas prices, higher travel costs, and increased financial need among CAF callers as a result of federal benefit cuts have all impacted the amount of support needed by CAF grantees.
Illinois and its ecosystem of care providers have stepped up to fill the gaps left by states with abortion bans and restrictions, both in the Midwest and across the United States. In 2025 alone:
1 in 4 people who travelled across state lines for abortion care came to Illinois, totalling approximately 32,000 patients.
Illinois was by far the highest receiving state, taking in more than double the amount of patients as the next state.
43% of all out-of-state patients who travelled to Illinois received direct support from CAF, up from 28% in 2024.
CAF callers who came to Illinois for care travelled a median of over 228 miles for care, compared to a median of 69 miles before the fall of Roe.
Since the Dobbs decision in June of 2022, 13 states have enacted total abortion bans, and 28 more have bans in place based on varying gestational durations. Other legal challenges to abortion access persist. Most recently, telehealth provision of medication abortion pill mifepristone has been challenged in the courts. Mifepristone is a safe, decades-tested method of having an abortion. One third of all abortions in the United States are accessed via telehealth, and the majority of Americans are supportive of medication abortion pills via mail.
CAF is Illinois’s statewide fund and the largest independent fund in the country. CAF has been operating for over 40 years, but saw a massive increase in capacity and rapid growth in the run up to and aftermath of the Dobbs decision. In 2019, CAF assisted 1,600 callers. In 2025, CAF assisted nearly 20,000. Since 2019, nobody who has contacted CAF for abortion care in Illinois has been turned away.
Statement from Chicago Abortion Fund Director Megan Jeyifo:
“Every year that passes from the Dobbs decision makes it more and more clear: Banning abortions has done nothing to stop people from needing them. Instead, it has moved the burden of finding care to the most vulnerable and forced states like Illinois to step up where other states have failed their residents. To those who have had to face arduous travels, financial worries, stigma, and rejection from their home state just to get healthcare– you deserve better, and CAF is committed to being here to make sure you get the abortion care you want, need, and deserve.”