Embryo Adoption Mailbag: International Embryo Adoption

Q: We are a Canadian couple looking to adopt an embryo. What are our options when using an American organization such as yours? Are we able to use an American agency? Any information you can offer would be most appreciated.
-Stacey

A: Dear Stacy,

I’m very pleased to hear you are considering embryo donation and adoption as a family building option and there are certainly some possibilities I can point you toward. First of all, I would recommend looking into the Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Program. They are located in Southern California, but work with families all over the U.S. and internationally. They actually have a page of their website which focuses on Embryo Donation and Adoption in Canada I would invite you to view.

With any U.S. Embryo Adoption Program you work with, the process will be fairly similar. First of all, the programs will likely require you to complete an Adoptive Family Home Study Assessment. After this is completed, the program will work with you in Canada to match you with a donor family and to sign legal contracts. In my experience, it is relatively difficult to ship embryos across international borders, so the program will likely require you to travel to a U.S. Fertility Clinic for the actual Frozen Embryo Transfer procedure.

I hope this has helped to answer some of your questions and I wish you the best of luck on your journey.

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