Many people have heard about adoption for many years, however, folks may be both intrigued and confused by the concept of embryo adoption. Although embryo adoption is handled in a manner similar to other types of adoptions, there are some differences. The obvious one is that genetic or donor families are placing their frozen embryos for adoption. They have completed their families via in vitro fertilization (IVF) and have remaining frozen embryos stored at their clinic or lab. They wish to give these frozen embryos the chance at becoming a live baby and also want to help a family struggling with infertility with their dream to become parents. Despite the differences, one shared goal in all adoptions is the hope for a child to have a family….embryo adoption offers that hope to genetic parents who must make a decision regarding remaining embryos… and to adopting parents, who desire to experience pregnancy and build a family.
Unfortunately, there are many couples who long to have a child, but struggle with fertility issues. Many of these couples go through the IVF process and are successful at creating families. When couples are finished with fertility treatments, they often have remaining frozen embryos. They may have a single embryo or they may have several remaining embryos and must decide from the following choices:
•Freeze and store the embryos indefinitely, which usually costs several hundred dollars each year and eventually the embryos will deteriorate
•Donate remaining embryos for medical research, which results in their destruction
•Destroy remaining embryos
•Donate embryos for adoption
Donating embryos for adoption is the only method that doesn’t ultimately destroy the embryos. An agency, such as Children’s Connections, Inc., experienced in embryo adoption is able to assist genetic/donor parents and embryo adopting parents by providing support and guidance throughout the embryo adoption process. Agencies handle not only the legal aspects of embryo adoption, but the social and emotional aspects as well. Embryo adoption/donation also involves a medical process so there is no guarantee that the embryos will survive the thaw process, or that a pregnancy will be achieved.
Similar to a domestic adoption, the genetic parents can select adopting parents for their embryos by previewing profiles of parents wishing to adopt. They can also determine what level of openness they desire with the adopting parents. Parents wishing to adopt embryos must complete the home study process prior to being matched. This provides genetic/donor parents with confidence that they are placing embryos with a family that is very capable of raising a child. An embryo adoption, unlike other adoptions, is handled through legal contracts, and does not have to be finalized in a Texas court. Upon completion of legal paperwork, the embryos become the “property” of the adopting parents and there is not a requirement for a finalization hearing. Once embryos have been relinquished to the adopting parents, the agency can facilitate shipping the embryos to the adopting parents’ clinic. Genetic parents can receive information as to the date of the transfer(s), outcome of the embryo transfer(s), and the birth of any child(ren).
Children’s Connections, Inc. assists families with all types of adoptions and adoption related services, including embryo adoption. We are thrilled to be part of the embryo adoption journey for so many families, as their frozen embryos journey on to become babies. Embryo adoption is truly a gift from the hear. Just like other types of adoption, embryo adoption offers hope…to children, to biological/genetic/donor parents, and to adopting parents.
If you would like to learn more about Children’s Connections, Inc.’s embryo adoption program, Crystal Angels, please email adopt@childrensconnections.org or call 806.745.7995. We would love to help you create a family through embryo adoption!
