Ethical Questions Arise from CA’s Commercial Surrogacy Industry

KQED's Forum

KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 26 February 2026

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Commercial surrogacy has long been life-changing for LGBTQ+ and infertile couples wishing to have children. Even though the practice is banned or highly restricted in much of the rest of the world, the U.S. has no federal laws overseeing the practice. In a new investigation, New Yorker staff writer Ava Kofman exposes one Los Angeles couple that enlisted surrogate mothers for at least 25 children, all of whom are currently in foster care. California is considered a surrogacy stronghold within the $42 billion global fertility industry. We unpack why, and the reforms advocates want to see to improve the informed consent of both surrogates and intended parents — and to keep their children safe. Guests: Deborah Wald, certified family law specialist based in San Francisco Ava Kofman, staff writer, The New Yorker - her recent piece is “The Babies Kept in a Mysterious Los Angeles Mansion” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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1:06.8	California is better than most when it comes to protections for surrogates, but a shocking recent
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