Stanford Report, June 7, 2006

Federal adoption-assistance rules do not extend to embryos

BY JON ANN LINDSEY

Adopt an infant, adopt a foster child, adopt a niece or nephew—Stanford's Adoption Assistance Program reimburses qualifying expenses in all those cases.

But what about the costs of "embryo adoption," in which frozen embryos left over from in vitro fertilization procedures are donated to infertile couples for implantation?

Teresa Rasco, director of the WorkLife Office, said her office got a call recently asking if those expenses were covered by the program as well. The answer is no because the federal regulations that govern adoption assistance programs do not extend to embryos.

Still, the issue is likely to resurface and is being closely watched by scientists, lawyers and ethicists.