Welcome to the Frequently Asked Questions section for and about LGBTQ parents, families, and prospective parents.
Please note: The information provided in this section is not designed or intended to replace medical care, legal advice or a consult with a qualified professional.
Many of the questions frequently asked by LGBTQ parents, prospective parents, family and friends are answered in the Queer Parenting Info Brochure Series.
Brochures are available on the following topics:
A brochure on surrogacy is currently being developed. In the meantime, we have included a few basic questions and answers on surrogacy in Canada below.
Although practitioners within the clinic setting will see the potential egg donor and surrogate, the clinics themselves will not find an egg donor or a surrogate for you. There are a variety of websites that can assist you in this process.
For assistance finding an egg donor one helpful website is www.ourfairygodmother.com.Another that can help you to find a surrogate is www.surromomsonline.com
In Canada, when a person gives birth to a child, their name (at the very least) is put onto the Statement of Live Birth in accordance with the Vital Statistics Act.
In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate does not want to be on the Birth Certificate while the intended single parent or parents do. In Ontario it is possible with legal assistance to have the Statement of Live Birth sealed and to have only the intended parent/s names listed on the child’s birth certificate. They will help you navigate this process, which includes:
- Delaying the completion of the birth registration; you legally have up to 30 days after the birth of your child to complete this paperwork; don't let a hospital rush you or your surrogate into completing this paperwork;
- Genetic testing to prove that the intended parent, or one of the intended parents, is genetically related to the child, and that the surrogate is not, therefore helping the lawyer rebut any presumption by the court that the person that gave birth will be a parent of the child;
- Applying for a Declaration of Parentage, which will ensure that you as a single parent or as a male couple are recognized as the sole parent/s of the child;
- Legally sealing away the Statement of Live Birth;
- Generating a Birth Certificate that will only have your name/s on it as the child’s parent/s.
This process may vary in different Canadian jurisdictions.
