Multi-Parent Families + SB274

Heterogeneity in family building and structure is no new thing– especially when it comes to building LGBTQ families through egg donation and/or surrogacy. However, the different ways in which we have started to build our families has been limited by the law’s assumption that families are largely the same. Not only is this far from the truth but it has created, at the least, feelings of fear and lack of safety for legally unrecognized parents and, at the most damaging, scenarios where children lose access to parental figures they have come to know and understand as their family.

While SB274 doesn’t re-write the definition of the “American (or Californian) Family” it does offer the opportunity for a new legally recognized sense of safety for multi-parent families already in existence. Where the courts were previously forced to narrow parentage down to two adults, their hands are now untied if narrowing parentage down to two individuals would be detrimental for any children involved. Read more about SB274 in The Wald Law Group’s Newsletter here.

While this won’t support every version of family in existence and must be utilized with caution and mindfulness (especially at the start) it remains a huge step for folks building loving families with children that aren’t automatically protected by biology or relationship recognition.

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Traci Medeiros-Bagan

Third Party Reproduction LGBT Coordinator

Traci’s academic background is in Gender Studies with a focus in Sexuality and her career background is in counseling and diversity education. She believes in the strength of families of choice and is passionate about offering affirming options for egg donation and/or surrogacy to the LGBT community looking to grow their families.