In Australia, anonymous gamete donation is no longer legal, with “ID release” donors now the norm (where the donor conceived person is legally entitled to the donor’s identifying information at age 18). Recipient Parents can generally apply for early contact prior to this, but its at the donor’s discretion as to whether they are willing to accept contact prior to the DCP turning 18.

Many claim that its in the donor conceived child’s best interests to have contact with the donor as early as possible. This may be true as a generalisation, but there are risks involved in reaching out early so its important to fully consider and weigh up those risks against the benefits.

Courtney du Toit, Family Lawyer, will discuss the legal implications of making early contact including child custody, and how you might mitigate those risks.

Cal Volks, Counsellor, will talk to the emotional rollercoaster that seeking contact can become for the DCP and their family, and how to stay strong together.

We’ll have some donor-conceived families sharing their experiences of donor-linking too.

The webinar will be recorded and available to view for a week after the event so if you can’t make it live, you’ll still be able to access the content.

All times are Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time (ie. Melbourne time)