Why Family by Co

We are honored that you are considering us as part of your family-building journey. As you can see, we’re doing things differently around here.

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We believe matching with an egg donor should be a positive experience.

It sounds obvious, right? But the largely unregulated egg donation market has led to some sketchy practices. We want to bring ethics and transparency to an industry where most agencies don’t even have an "About Us" page. 

If you're looking for an egg donor — either due to infertility, cancer, a genetic condition, or not having eggs (hi, gay dads!) — you may already feel like the odds are stacked against you. The last thing you need is to feel like you’re “shopping” for a human who plays a critical role in your family-building journey. And we’ll never make it feel that way.

We agree with ASRM that egg donor compensation can open the door for exploitation. Plus, a 2021 Harvard study found that 62% of donor-conceived adults felt the exchange of money for donor gametes was wrong, and 41% were troubled by the fact that money was exchanged around their conception. By allowing our donors to freeze their eggs as part of the process, our unique model honors everyone involved.

We believe anonymous egg donation is a thing of the past.

Our model honors freezers, donors, families, and ultimately, the donor-conceived children. While other agencies make false promises to donors of “anonymous” egg donations, we tell the truth. In a world of ubiquitous genetic testing, no gamete donation can be guaranteed to be anonymous. We work with all parties involved to build a relationship that feels right for them, and we encourage both donors and intended parents to consider the donor-conceived child’s best interest.

We believe egg donors should have a say in their donation.

We believe parents and donors should both opt-in to the match, and be on the same page for the type of relationship they want. Our donors specify their communication preferences up front, giving donors and families real options in the process.

We believe in the equal right to parent.

LGBTQ+ families have historically faced more rigorous scrutiny and challenges than heterosexual families regarding their rights to be or become parents. For example, discriminatory laws make it difficult in some states for both parents to be on the birth certificate, solely because of their gender. We stand by protections for LGBTQ+ parents and their children, and support all families equally. 

We believe donor-conceived children shouldn’t be an afterthought.

Part of serving families is recognizing the unique life experience of the humans we’re helping bring into this world. These children are so precious and wanted, and the world is just starting to understand the nuances of not sharing genetics with one’s parents. This is why we provide families with evidence-based tips and guidance for raising happy, healthy donor-conceived children, as well as tools for families and donors to communicate at a mutually-agreed upon level. 

We are committed to listening to donor-conceived people, following research in this space, and continually sharing our findings to promote a positive experience for all.

We believe family building is not a one-and-done transaction. 

Matching with a donor is just the beginning. Unlike traditional donor egg agencies, where the relationship ends after a transaction, we offer a lifetime of support for families. This includes educational materials, support groups, and communication tools available to Family by Co members and families indefinitely.