Will an Embryo Donor Family Choose You?

When you donate your leftover frozen embryos for adoption, many agencies will give you the opportunity to have a say in which family will be able to adopt them. This gives you an opportunity to ensure that the family receiving your donor embryos will be able to properly care for them, and gives you the peace of mind knowing that a great couple will have an opportunity to become parents thanks to your gift. Adopting families will have an opportunity to review donor family profiles, too. When those families match, the frozen embryo adoption can take place.

So what are donor and adopting families look for?

• Donor families may be looking for a certain type of family – perhaps one where the mother will be staying home with her adopted children. Or, they might want to know how long the couple has been married, or how many other children they have. Donor families often seek someone who shares the same educational and religious background, too.
• Adopting families are typically searching for donor families with a solid medical history and a similar background to their own. They may want to find a couple with similar physical characteristics so their adopted child shares some of their traits, as well.