What children really think about surrogacy:

Debates about surrogacy law often focus on adult perspectives – legal, ethical, and political. Yet the voices of those most affected are rarely heard, children.

The Children’s Voices in Surrogacy Law (CVSL) team made up of Katherine Wade, Kirsty Horsey, Zaina Mahmoud and Charlotte Mills address this gap by placing children’s lived experiences at the centre of the discussion.

CVSL is the first UK-based study, and the first in English-speaking jurisdictions, to explore children’s views on surrogacy law and practice. Developed alongside the 2023 Law Commission review of surrogacy law, the project worked with children aged 8–17, including children born through surrogacy, children of surrogates, and children born through surrogacy overseas and now living in England. We were very pleased to be able to support this research and many of the international families involved were families we had supported through NGA Law and/or Brilliant Beginnings.

Rather than relying only on interviews, the researchers used art-based methods, inviting children to create artwork around the theme “What surrogacy means to me.” A total of 41 pieces of artwork were analysed, offering rich insight into children’s emotions, relationships, and everyday experiences of surrogacy.

Four strong themes emerged from the children’s artwork.

Connection was central. Children repeatedly depicted ongoing relationships between surrogates, intended parents, and children. These connections were shown through handholding, shared names, and images of families staying in touch long after birth. This challenges the idea that surrogacy involves separation; instead, children experienced it as collaborative and relational.

Love featured prominently. Hearts, hugs, flowers, gifts, and smiling faces filled the artwork. Surrogates were portrayed as proud, respected, and caring, while intended parents were shown as grateful and loving. These depictions stand in contrast to claims that surrogacy is inherently exploitative and instead suggest relationships built on mutual respect.

Positivity was another key theme. Children born through surrogacy – both in the UK and overseas – overwhelmingly portrayed surrogacy as a happy and normal part of their lives. Some explicitly stated that it had no negative impact on them. Children of surrogates also expressed pride in their mothers’ role, often depicting them as strong, empowered, and admired. The moment of a baby being handed to intended parents was shown as joyful and celebratory.

Finally, children showed a clear understanding of surrogacy’s purpose and meaning. Many described it in terms of helping others, kindness, and gift-giving. Altruism featured strongly, while money did not appear in any artwork, including those created by children born through overseas surrogacy via compensated surrogacy arrangements.

What mattered to children was intention, care, and relationships.

The artwork also reflected broad acceptance of diverse family forms, including same-sex parents and intention-based parenthood. Children consistently identified intended parents as the “real” parents because they planned for and raised the child – supporting proposals to modernise UK surrogacy law.

Overall, the research shows that ethically supported surrogacy can result in positive, loving experiences for children. The findings highlight the vital role of professional and organisational support — including that provided by NGA Law and Brilliant Beginnings – and demonstrate the importance of listening to children when shaping surrogacy law and policy.