When are we going to put children first?

The number of single men seeking children through surrogacy is rising on both sides of the Atlantic. In my home country of England, 170 single men have applied for parental orders since 2019. In the United States, where commercial surrogacy is a multibillion-dollar industry, the trend is even more pronounced. I read these developments with a sinking heart.

As a foster carer and adoptive parent with over 20 years of experience, I’ve met many people living with the grief of infertility. The longing for a child can be bone-deep. I do not underestimate it. But wanting something desperately is not the same as being entitled to it, especially when fulfilling that desire requires another woman to carry a child she will surrender, and a baby who will lose his or her mother at birth.

I have seen up close what separation from a birth mother does to a child. My adopted daughter