Michael K. Lavers | Washington Blade | August 18, 2020
Roee and Adiel Kiviti of Chevy Chase, Maryland had a child born to a surrogate in Canada, only to learn that the US State Department would not recognize the American citizenship of their daughter. After a district judge ruled in favor of the couple, the State appealed the decision, continuing the legal battle. There have been several similar cases of discrimination against gay couples and their children in the US.
By Maria Varenikova | The New York Times | August 15, 2020
This article describes a disturbing situation in the Ukrainian surrogacy industry. Surrogates hired by foreign couples are sent by agencies to Northern Cyprus to circumvent restrictions for same-sex couples or for sex selection. Alarming reports reveal required C-sections and poor medical care, leading to one infant death. As surrogates raced to return home before the Ukrainian border closed and intended parents were unable to reach their children, newborns have been stranded and left with ambiguous legal parentage.
By AFP – Agence France Presse | Barron’s | August 3, 2020
Following the death of a child born to a surrogate in Moscow, a Russian probe was launched to investigate human trafficking within the highly-lucrative industry. According to the article, a number of other babies found in the same and other apartments were placed under state care. Eight suspects were arrested, among them doctors, a courier, the head of a surrogacy agency, and a surrogate.
By Emily Shugerman | The Daily Beast | August 01, 2020
A month before Sierra Martin, a surrogate in Washington State, US, was due to give birth, one of the intended parents asked if she could care for the baby if he was unable to travel due to the coronavirus. This article highlights the story of Martin, a single mother who has been caring for the baby for months, and Li, one of the two fathers in China who was denied entry to the US. Martin was concerned about bonding with the baby and having to give him away. Li is among hundreds of parents who face barriers retrieving their children from the US in the midst of the pandemic.
By Andrew Roth | The Guardian | July 29, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has left an estimated 1,000 children stranded in Russia, born from surrogacy agreements between foreign parents and Russian surrogates. This article highlights the story of a British-Chinese couple from Shanghai desperately seek to gain access to a closed Russian border hoping to arrive in time for their daughter’s birth. The already convoluted circumstances have been further complicated by the recent Russian probe into human trafficking within their surrogacy industry.
By Nara Schoenberg | Chicago Tribune | July 22, 2020
Vicky Li, a former employee at a Chicago based surrogacy agency, and her husband, Jerry Wu, have volunteered to care for two children born to surrogates until the parents can fly to the US from China. Hundreds of intended parents from other countries have not been able to come to the US to pick up their children born to surrogates, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. According to the article, the babies are being cared for by an impromptu collection of surrogates, agency employees, baby nurses, family friends and relatives.
By Katie Mulvaney | Providence Journal | July 21, 2020
On July 21, the Equal Parentage bill was passed in Rhode Island, giving same-sex couples, unmarried people, and others who have children through assisted reproduction technologies an avenue to establish legal parentage at birth. The bill eliminates the need for non-birth parents to complete “second-parent” adoptions, addresses some aspects of surrogacy arrangements, and provides guidance for children conceived through sperm donation to find information on the donor when they turn 18.
By Peter McGuire | thejournal.ie | July 14, 2020
This article provides a brief history of the rights of parents in Ireland whose children are conceived through assisted reproduction. The author posits that legal protections for children conceived outside traditional heterosexual relationships still fall short. For example, birth certificates of children born to same-sex couples do not recognize both parents as legal guardians. In one case, an Irish couple who conceived a child with the help of a surrogate in the United States had to sign an affidavit stating that one parent is a legal stranger in order to attain an Irish passport for their newborn. Despite recommendations from the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR), the article asserts that legislation has yet to be made to make assisted reproduction more accessible for all family structures involved.
Swiss Info | June 28, 2020
In Switzerland, where surrogacy is banned, more couples are turning to international commercial surrogacy. In the past year, the number of children born to surrogates abroad doubled, most born in the United States, followed by Ukraine and Canada.
By Marla Neufeld | Lexology | June 25, 2020
With worldwide travel restrictions, closed courthouses, and limited governmental staff at critical offices, attorney Marla Neufeld updates recommendations regarding surrogacy arrangements in the US in the face of COVID-19. These include re-evaluating surrogacy agreements, determining whether health insurance policies for surrogates will cover COVID-19 treatments, and setting up contingency plans when unable to reach the US or return home.
