The Office of Population Affairs is responsible for administering the frozen embryo adoption public awareness campaign. The campaign supports grants, cooperative agreements and/or contracts which aim to increase public awareness of embryo donation/adoption. The program may also fund projects that provide services to make this family building option more attainable for infertile couples.
In the course of treatments for infertility, couples usually produce more embryos than they can use. These supernumerary embryos are generally frozen while the couple who created them decides about their ultimate disposition. This freezing process is known as cryo-preservation. It is thought that there may be thousands of frozen embryos which could potentially be made available for embryo adoption (that is, the transfer of the embryo to the uterus of a woman who intends to bear a child and to be that child's parent). The ultimate purpose of the program is to promote the use of embryo/donation as a family-building option.
Funding
The embryo adoption program is authorized under Section 301 of the Public Health Service Act. In fiscal years 2002, and 2004 - 2015. Congress provided funding in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) annual appropriations act for an embryo adoption public awareness campaign. The purpose is to educate Americans about the existence of frozen embryos (resulting from in vitro fertilization), which may be available for donation/adoption for family building.
| Fiscal Year | Funding |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $985,000 |
| 2018 | $980,000 |
| 2017 | $980,000 |
| 2016 | $980,000 |
| 2015 | $980,000 |
| 2014 | $980,000 |
| 2013 | $980,000 |
| 2012 | $2,000,000 |
| 2011 | $2,000,000 |
| 2010 | $4,200,000 |
| 2009 | $4,200,000 |
| 2008 | $3,930,000 |
| 2007 | $1,980,000 |
| 2006 | $1,979,000 |
| 2005 | $992,000 |
| 2004 | $994,100 |
| 2002 | $996,000 |
Grants
In general, three to five grants have been awarded each year through a competitive process. The grants generally have a two-year life-span.
| Fiscal Year | Organization | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Empower Donation, LLC | $275,000 |
| 2019 | National Registry for Adoption | $255,000 |
| 2019 | Nightlight Christian Adoptions | $255,000 |
| 2018 | National Center for Donor Conception | $239,000 |
| 2018 | National Registry for Adoption | No additional funds in FY2018 |
| 2018 | Nightlight Inc. | $299,000 |
| 2017 | National Center for Donor Conception | $239,000 |
| 2017 | National Registry for Adoption | $150,000 (Two-year project period) |
| 2017 | Nightlight Inc. | $299,000 |
| 2016 | No new grants were awarded. | However, three cooperative agreements awarded in previous years were continued. |
| 2015 | National Center for Donor Conception | $185,000 |
| 2015 | Nightlight Inc. (1) | $248,000 |
| 2015 | Nightlight Inc. (2) | $248,000 |
| 2014 | National Center for Donor Conception | $137,444 |
| 2014 | Nightlight Inc. (1) | $299,860 |
| 2014 | Nightlight Inc. (2) | $297,760 |
| 2013 | National Embryo Donation Center | $270,000 |
| 2013 | Nightlight Inc. (1) | $268,000 |
| 2013 | Nightlight Inc. (2) | $147,000 |
| 2012 | No new grants were awarded. | However, eight cooperative agreements awarded in previous years were continued. |
| 2011 | Boston IVF | $500,000 |
| 2011 | National Embryo Donation Center | $435,000 |
| 2011 | Nightlight Inc. (1) | $498,000 |
| 2011 | Nightlight Inc. (2) | $287,000 |
| 2010 | No new grants were awarded. | However, pre-existing, multi-year cooperative agreements with current grantees were continued with a supplement of $36,000 per grant. |
| 2009 | Bethany Christian Services | $450,000 |
| 2009 | National Embryo Donation Center (1) | $400,000 |
| 2009 | National Embryo Donation Center (2) | $400,000 |
| 2009 | RESOLVE, Inc. | $300,000 |
| 2008 | Bethany Christian Services | $499,577 |
| 2008 | National Embryo Donation Center | $476,255 |
| 2008 | Nightlight Christian Adoptions | $500,000 |
| 2008 | RESOLVE, Inc. | $367,127 |
| 2007 | Bethany Christian Services | $328,130 |
| 2007 | Nightlight Christian Services | $328,130 |
| 2007 | RESOLVE, Inc. | $328,130 |
| 2006 | Baptist Health System Foundation (1) | $349,173 |
| 2006 | Baptist Health System Foundation (2) | $266,000 |
| 2006 | Bethany Christian Services | $350,000 |