The Australian Law Reform Commission is seeking public input, and your child’s voice could help shape fairer, more inclusive laws for future families.
Why This Matters
There are still major challenges for families formed through surrogacy:
- No simple pathway to legal parentage for children born overseas
- Expensive and slow parentage transfers for domestic surrogacy
- A critical shortage of altruistic surrogates in Australia
This national review is a unique opportunity to push for meaningful reform — but anti-surrogacy groups will be vocal. We need to make sure the lived experiences of those born through surrogacy are part of the conversation.
The Voices of Adolescents and Young Adults Are Crucial
Australian public policy on surrogacy claims to prioritise the best interests of children — yet adolescents and young adults born via surrogacy have never been asked for their views. Research shows our children grow up as healthy and well-adjusted as any other. Still, some groups falsely claim surrogacy causes harm. This is your child’s chance to speak for themselves and help challenge misinformation with real experience.
How to Contribute: A Simple 3-Step Process
To make it easy, we’ve created a short response template designed specifically for young people aged 12 and up born via surrogacy. The questions were designed with input from Australian surrogacy researcher, Dr Ezra Kneebone, and informed by international research on children’s views on surrogacy law.
Download the Template or record an Audio or Video
No personal journey details are required.
Download the written response template
Fill Out the Template
Your child can answer as many or as few questions as they like — it takes around 12 minutes to complete.
Deadline: Friday 11 July 2025
Submissions close soon. This is a rare opportunity to speak up for families like yours — and make a difference for future generations.
Need Guidance? Watch Our Free
20-Minute Webinar
This short webinar shows you (or your child) how to complete and submit a response.
Can Parents Participate Too?
Yes — parents are welcome to make their own submissions as well. The ALRC has published 27 questions and you can respond to as many or as few as you like.
This is a rare and meaningful opportunity to influence how surrogacy is understood and supported in Australia.
If your child was born through surrogacy — whether in Australia or overseas — their perspective, and yours, matters. Their voice can help build a future where intended parents are better supported, and children born through surrogacy are recognised, respected, and heard.
Thank you for being part of the change.
