New York Attorneys for Adoption & Family Formation

NYAAFF is now on Instagram! We’d be delighted if you would also follow us on IG as we continue to offer updates and news relevant to all NYers who are engaged in assisted family formation.

www.instagram.com

New York Attorneys for Adoption & Family Formation supports RESOLVE as, together with our colleagues, we continue to advocate for Federal legislation protecting access to IVF care.

Here's how...

Congress needs to hear that you support the Access to Family Building Act. This bill would establish a statutory right to access and other services and ensure they remain legal and available everywhere in the US.

on lawmakers. Take the leap and send this action alert ⬇️
https://act.resolve.org/page/62369/action/1?ea.tracking.id=website

PROTECT IVF:

NYAAFF stands with ASRM in support of Access to Family Building Act (S.3612/ H.R.7056). Won't you BE HEARD?

This bill would:

• Establishes a statutory right for an individual to access ART services, such as IVF, and for a healthcare provider to provide ART services

• Establishes an individual’s statutory right regarding the use or disposition of their reproductive genetic materials, including gametes

• Allows the Department of Justice to pursue civil action against any state, government official, individual or entity that violates protections in this Act

• Creates a private right of action for individuals and healthcare providers in states that have limited access to ART

Protect IVF: Pass the Access to Family Building Act The recent Alabama Supreme Court decision has most people asking, “what can we do?”The ASRM team is working around-the-clock to protect access to IVF, and, while we explore legislative and judicial options, we also urge you to contact your elected...

American Society for Reproductive Medicine:

"The choice to build a family is a fundamental right for all Americans, regardless of where they live. We cannot, therefore, allow this dangerous precedent of judicial overreach with national implications to go unchecked.

We call on the people of Alabama to demand that their elected officials ensure that Alabama’s citizens are not victims of political and ideological whims. To our members in the state: We will not rest until your ability to provide patients with the best care is restored.”

ASRM Condemns Profoundly Misguided and Dangerous Court Decision in Alabama In LePage v Mobile Infirmary Clinic, the Alabama Supreme Court made a decision that flies in the face of medical reality and the needs of the citizens.

NYAAFF member and President of NYAAFF's Board of Directors Casey DiPaola and NYAAFF member and Director Amelia Demma will each speak at this weekend's Men Having Babies NYC conference.

Attorney DiPaola will speak on surrogacy legislation in New York as well as surrogacy laws across the United States. Attorney Demma will speak on advocacy efforts with respect to NY's IVF Insurance Mandate legislation as well as the construct and purpose of Gestational Surrogacy Agreements.

If you are attending the NYC Men Having Babies conference, we hope you will have an opportunity to hear Attorneys DiPaola and Demma speak and that you will meet with and speak with each of our members about your plans for family building in New York.

https://menhavingbabies.org/surrogacy-seminars/ny/

Your voice matters!

Calling all NYers!!! Be heard!!! Tell your story!!!! Join us on Thursday, June 17th, for RESOLVE's Virtual Advocacy Day during which we will meet with our New York representatives on Capitol Hill to discuss several federal bills that will improve access to care and will provide other resources to those going through assisted family building.

NYAAFF member Attorney Amelia Demma is leading up the New York team. In fact, the NY team is growing so strong that another colleague has stepped forward to co-manage our delegation so that we are sure to be as impactful as we can.

Advocacy Day is free, it is fun, it is virtual so you do not need to leave your home to participate and it is so very import to . Training is available, meetings are scheduled for you. You will never be in a meeting alone, in fact, we have so many NYers already registered that you will attend meetings with a group of other NY advocates. Talking points about each bill are prepared for you and sent in advance. It really is an enjoyable and gratifying experience.

If you would like to register to join the NY team, you can do so here: https://resolve.org/get-involved/events/advocacy-day/

If you would like more info about the bills for which we are advocating, this RESOLVE video is quite helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnfNS6SQqHo

2021 Virtual Advocacy Day Issues Webinar 2021 Virtual Advocacy Day Issues Webinar

"National Foster Care Month is an opportunity for us to celebrate the resource and kin families who are supporting children by opening their homes and sharing their love. Crucially, it is also an opportunity to celebrate foster youth and all of their accomplishments, and to celebrate and encourage the many biological parents who are working hard to safely reunite with their children. And it provides an opportunity for us to fulfill our responsibility as a Nation to take care of each other and provide our vulnerable youth and families with the support they need."

NYAAFF thanks President Biden for declaring April, National Foster Care Month. Several of our NYAAFF attorneys work with children and families in the foster care system. We, as an organization, are grateful for every effort that raises awareness and increases resources for all impacted by the placement of children in interim care.

A Proclamation on National Foster Care Month, 2021 | The White House Every child deserves to grow up in a supportive, loving home where they can thrive and prosper. During those unfortunate times when children cannot remain

At New York Attorneys for Adoption & Family Formation we, too, are

New York Attorneys for Adoption & Family Formation supports 1 in 8....

"1 in 8 couples have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy. (Source: CDC, National Survey of Family Growth, 2006-2010.)

Anyone can be challenged to have a family. No matter what race, religion, s*xuality or economic status you are, infertility doesn’t discriminate."

https://infertilityawareness.org/

New York Attorneys for Adoption & Family Formation thanks Governor Andrew Cuomo for recognizing with a New York State Proclamation.

"Whereas, the birth of a new child is cause for joy and happiness, and the hopes and dreams of parenthood are a right all New Yorkers should be afforded, regardless of marital status, s*xual orientation or gender identity, as the family is a powerful expression of love that exists among millions of New Yorkers." Governor Andrew Cuomo

As a Community Partner with RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, New York Attorneys for Adoption & Assisted Family Formation reminds all New Yorkers that you, too, can be heard on Capitol Hill about family building legislation.

This week RESOLVE is celebrating . In the spirit of , we are sharing registration materials and other information about joining the New York team of infertility patients, prospective adoptive parents, infertility professionals, friends and family of those hoping for a baby on June 17, for Virtual Advocacy Day. Last year, 40 New Yorkers joined the team. Let's double that participation this year!

Virtual Advocacy Day - National Infertility Awareness Week RESOLVE’s Advocacy Day ensures that your voice is heard and that your elected officials understand the needs of those trying to building a family.

NYAAFF board member Amelia Demma submitted a request to Governor Andrew Cuomo's office requesting that NYS recognize by a state proclamation. Given the tremendous support that our elected officials in Albany have given to the NY assisted family formation community, we remain optimistic and hopeful for a positive response.

While organizations cannot submit requests for proclamations, you, as an individual, can. Wondering how you can be heard about NYS proclaiming its recognition of ? RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association has all the information you need to be heard about infertility

Proclamation Project - National Infertility Awareness Week Get involved: Ask for a Proclamation in your town for National Infertility Awareness Week to create a movement of educational awareness.

Barb Collura, Executive Director of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association:

"Today starts and I have the perfect article to set the stage, from our friend and fellow advocate, Chloe Melas CNN. Thank you Chloe for shining a light on . Thank you for highlighting and Katie Lelito, Ph.D. So happy to see former RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association Board Member Alisyn Camerota sharing her story.

And here's how the article ends:
What does the future hold for those who need infertility treatments to build or grow their family?

"I don't have a crystal ball," said Collura of RESOLVE. "But I know what it's going to take to get us the progress we need. It's going to take a lot of funding, and a lot of people raising their voice. Do we have what it takes? Will infertility be the next thing getting the attention it deserves? I hope so."

Why Americans lack adequate access to fertility treatments CNN entertainment reporter Chloe Melas had to go through nearly two years of fertility treatments. While she and husband Brian Mazza now have two sons, it wasn't easy and it was expensive. She's speaking out during National Infertility Awareness Week.

Next week is National Infertility Awareness Week. Are you ready? New York Attorneys for Adoption & Family Formation joins the campaign by continuing our commitment to making sure all NYers hoping for a baby know and understand the . How can we help you be "in the know"?

- National Infertility Awareness Week In 2020, we proved that nothing could hold back the power of National Infertility Awareness Week®. Let’s do it again, April 18-24th, 2021. Let’s use NIAW to raise our voices, talk about the issues facing this community and make sure we continue to support those most in need.

At New York Attorneys for Adoption & Family Formation, our diverse membership reflects the diversity in the intended parent, donor and gestational surrogate communities with which we work. We are grateful for organizations in New York to which we can turn when needing assistance in counseling parties of a particular community that might have religious or other specific guidelines. Over the years, several of our members have worked with PUAH of Brooklyn. We are grateful for the support, guidance and friendship PUAH has always offered to our attorney members.

PUAH PUAH is devoted to helping the greater Jewish community fulfill their dreams of building a healthy family.

New York Attorneys for Adoption & Family Formation is incredibly grateful for the work our mental health colleagues do in our field. The collaboration between medical, mental health and law professionals offers those hoping for a baby and those willing to assist as donors or surrogates a most comprehensive, most supportive experience. Wishing all who are participating in this year's Jefferson Infertility Counseling Conference our very best.

Have questions about residual embryo disposition in New York? Any of the attorney members at NYAAFF would be pleased to discuss how the new Child-Parent Security Act and specifically changes to the Family Court Act impacts NYers who are resolving residual embryo disposition whether in a divorce or in other circumstances where such matters, and the related legal complexities, are at issue.

The Latest Issue in Divorces: Who Gets the Embryos? Amid the pandemic, I.V.F. rates are on the rise, and so are disputes about what to do with remaining frozen embryos when couples split up. For some, it has gotten messy.

Today, in Child-Parent Security Act history:

4/1/14: Albany, New York: Child Parent Security Act Forum, Risa A. Levine Testimony

My name is Risa Levine, and I am a New York City resident. I am speaking on behalf of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, of which I have served on the Board of Directors since 2010. RESOLVE is a nationwide non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of people living with the disease of infertility. RESOLVE was founded in 1974 and has been active in New York State for over 20 years.

I am so appreciative of Assembly Member Paulin's and Senator Hoylman's activism on this issue critical to so many families across New York State. You've heard some of the stories of individuals who used gestational surrogates in order to become parents. I would like to put their stories in context in the treatment of infertility.

Over 7.3 million people in the United States are diagnosed with infertility - that's one in 8 families, with equal numbers being attributable to male and females factors, and about a third of the cases are both male/female factor, or (as you heard earlier from Marisa), "unexplained". Most patients can be treated by non-surgical medical treatment or procedures, but a small number, less than 5% of infertility patients, have issues that require treatment of their disease by in vitro fertilization. Of those, only a very small percentage are unable to carry a baby to term and require either donor eggs or a gestational surrogate. For those who do, the path to reach that understanding and diagnosis is long and painful. The acronym for the treatment, ART, assisted reproductive technology, is quite fitting, because it is an "art" requiring a fair amount of trial and error to identify where the problems are and what will work. As anyone suffering from infertility can attest to, the quest for a positive pregnancy test takes over one’s life. Everything else pales to a lighter shade of eggshell (yes, it’s all about the eggs): work, family, friends, s*x. Most infertiles are afraid to admit their disease, even in 2014, it's still deemed shameful to have a damaged reproductive system or its the punchline of a joke or fodder for tv spoofs. For many, the ONLY people who understand are that secret sorority of women members of privately held support groups or online anonymous group bulletin boards - for the men it's even worse. So by the time a patient is told by her physician that she probably can't sustain a pregnancy without a surrogate or a couple is told that they need a s***m or egg donor, they will have been through years of medical treatment, involving hundreds of injections, surgeries and untold number of invasive doctors' examinations, all to experience repeated failure of treatment, and often multiple miscarriages. A woman will have missed weeks of work and may have incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, because in vitro fertilization is not required to be covered by insurance in New York State.

The decision to retain a third party to carry one's child is not lightly made. For many women, carrying a child is integral to the experience of becoming a mother, being the first experience of nurturing one's child. For wannabe families who have tried so hard to become parents, first having to adjust to welcoming in teams of medical professionals into what is traditionally the most private experience a couple can have - making a baby - learning that they have to give up carrying that child, is crossing into what seems like the devil's version of Never Never Land. To then learn that in order to utilize a surrogate, one has to leave his or her home, doctors, often a partner and support system, overcome legal barriers to parenthood and incur travel and legal fees and then, miss critical parts of the surrogate's pregnancy, is just emotional and financial abuse. By denying access to treatment to New York's most vulnerable class of patients, those who have already endured so much, we are effectively limiting use of the available technologies to those who can afford it. This is a form of discriminatory reproductive eugenics.

Surrogacy has been around since Sarah first gave her handmaiden Hagar to her husband Abraham. That we are now able to transfer the intended parents' embryo to the surrogate in a 15 minute unmedicated outpatient procedure, is far less extreme than having your husband personally impregnate your maid. New York State has a long, proud history of being at the forefront of medical and technological advances and has some of the best and most sought after physicians, laboratories and clinics in the world. To hang on to such outdated and burdensome barriers to parenthood is unconscionable.
Gloria Steinem said that "The first resistance to social change is to say it's not necessary." Infertility is hard enough...being forced to travel out of state for a gestational surrogate or jump through legal hoops to become a parent in New York is just unconscionable."

RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association (resolve.org)! Thank you and Risa Levine for all you have done for New Yorkers hoping for a baby.

Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys:

"The Board of Trustees of the Family Formation Charitable Trust has specifically formalized its mission as follows:

To provide financial assistance to those individuals and organizations seeking to create families through adoption and assisted reproductive technology, and to provide educational programs in support of the Trust’s mission.

To raise funding in order to provide financial assistance and programs to support building families.

To raise funding through personal contributions, corporate contributions, and from educational programs and charitable events. Government and non-government funding sources will also be explored. Forming an endowment fund is also a goal.
Provide grants and sponsorship for innovative and meaningful family building programs.

It is the goal of the Trust to contribute and distribute as much of the funds that are donated or collected to the programs or families that are in need. Since the Trust is an organization operated by volunteers, all of whom are AAAA Fellows, it is believed that this goal will be easily met."

Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys: https://adoptionart.org/charitable-trust/

Big thank you to Betsy Campbell, Chief Engagement Officer at RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, for her contributions to this article.

"New York's surrogacy law was one of the worst on the books, surprisingly," says Campbell. ".....they had an outright ban on compensated surrogacy agreements that wouldn't recognize any surrogacy agreement. New Yorkers, both people in the LGBTQ+ community, as well as others who are facing infertility or other challenges, would actually have to go out of state for a surrogacy arrangement."

New Laws Make Family Planning More Accessible to the LGBTQ+ Community "No New Yorker should be denied the opportunity to become a parent...because of their s*xual orientation."

We at NYAAFF, along with our clients, are particularly excited about all that will blossom in New York this spring.

To learn more about New York Attorneys for Adoption & Family Formation members, please visit our directory: https://nyaaff.com/members.html

To learn more about where to enjoy spring blossoms in New York City, check out this guide: https://bit.ly/3lqZt9P

New York ART Attorney and NYAAFF member Melissa Brisman, founder of both Melissa B. Brisman, Esq., LLC (https:// reproductivelawyer.com) and Reproductive Possibilities (https://reproductivepossibilities.com), a surrogate agency, will present to the Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy on the New York State Department of Health licensing of surrogacy programs under the Child-Parent Security Act. Melissa is a Fellow at the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys since 2009, a valued member of New York Attorneys for Adoption & Family Formation and a national leader in assisted family building legal matters. She was an active member of the Protecting Modern Families Coalition in advocating for the passage of the Child-Parent Security Act.

The Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy regularly provides educational opportunities and other benefits of membership. NYAAFF looks forward to collaborating with SEEDS on other programs and encourages agency owners and other colleagues to learn more about SEEDS. For further information about SEEDS and membership: https://seedsethics.org/membership

New York Attorneys for Adoption and Assisted Family Formation Launches our “Meet NYAAFF Members” campaign.

Please meet NYAAFF Member Anne Reynolds Copps

Anne was admitted to the bar in New York in 1982 and is also admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court. She is a member of New York Attorneys for Adoption & Family Formation/NYAAFF (https://nyaaff.com), the New York State Bar Association (https://nysba.org) and Rensselaer County Bar Association (https://www.renscobar.org) and a former Fellow of Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (https://www.adoptionart.org). She has extensive experience in all areas of adoption law including private adoptions in New York State and Vermont, step/second parent adoptions, international adoptions, adoption agency representation, placements involving the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC), and placements involving the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). Anne also has experience in the related fields of Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) and Assisted Reproductive Technology Law (ART), including egg donation, s***m donation, embryo donation, and gestational carrier/surrogacy agreements.
Anne has been the recipient of several community and professional awards, including the Distinguished Member Award and the Kimberly A. Troisi-Paton Leadership Award from the Capital District Women’s Bar Association (https://www.cdwba.org), the Attorney Professionalism Award, and the Pro Bono Award from the New York State Bar Association, the “Straight but not Narrow” Award from the Capital District Pride Center, and the Kate Stoneman Award from Albany Law School.

Anne is active in community affairs, previously serving as the Chair of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) Real Property Section and Children and Law Committee and as the first President of NYAAFF. She also served as chair of the attorney disciplinary committee for the Third Department. Anne has previously served as NYSBA’s Chair of the Real Property Section, Children and the Law Committee (https://nysba.org/committees/committee-on-children-and-the-law) and Legal Specialization Committee, the Vice-President of Child’s Canterbury Foundation, the chair of the Committee on Professional Standards (attorney discipline committee), and on the Board of Directors of The Legal Project (https://legalproject.org).

Anne is the proud mom of two daughters and two grandchildren. She has been married to her husband since 1982. In her free time, she is an avid quilter. Anne can be reached at: [email protected]

New York Attorneys for Adoption & Family Formation (NYAAFF) is a group of adoption and assisted reproduction law attorneys and other child-welfare professionals from across New York State, who work with adoptive families, birth parents, adoption agencies, children, child welfare agencies and the court system to protect and advocate for the rights of adoptive children, children born through assisted reproduction and their families.

"The Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA) is an organization of nearly 500 highly vetted attorneys dedicated to the competent and ethical practice of adoption and assisted reproduction law."

https://adoptionart.org/adoption/

Adoption Fundamentals | AAAA Whether you are considering placing your child for adoption or you are a prospective adoptive parent, knowledge is power.

New York Attorneys for Adoption and Assisted Family Formation (NYAAFF) is proud to be partnering with RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association for RESOLVE's June 17, 2021 Virtual Advocacy Day. If you are a New Yorker and would like to be a part of the New York Advocacy Day team, please register at this link. Let's do this!

"Advocacy Day is a RESOLVE event where the infertility community comes together to talk to Members of Congress about important issues, like increased access to family building options and financial relief."

https://resolve.org/get-involved/events/advocacy-day/

Learn How You Can Attend RESOLVE's Advocacy Day RESOLVE's Advocacy Day is an event where the infertility community comes together in Washington, D.C. to talk to Members of Congress about important issues.

New York Attorneys for Adoption and Assisted Family Formation Launches our “Meet NYAAFF Members” campaign.

Please meet NYAAFF Member Debbie Wolf

Debbie S. Wolf is Senior Agency Counsel for Forever Families Through Adoption, Inc./“FFTA” (http://www.foreverfamiliesthroughadoption.org/), a New York and Connecticut licensed adoption placement agency and resource center. FFTA aims to help find forever families for children eligible for permanent adoption, regardless of their age, racial or ethnic background, or physical or emotional challenge. FFTA is committed to treating all people with dignity and respect no matter their race, religion, gender, s*xual orientation, marital status, age, nationality or disability.
Debbie has focused her professional career in the child welfare area. Prior to working with FFTA, Debbie was Counsel for Massachusetts Department of Social Services, litigating child and protection cases, and at the Middles*x District Attorney’s Office, assisting in the prosecution of child s*xual abuse cases. Debbie was also employed as a Social Worker for the Department of Social Services where she provided case management and counseling for emotionally and financially troubled families in an attempt to protect children at risk of abuse and neglect. Debbie holds a B.A. in Psychology and Art History from Boston University and has been a frequent lecturer on adoption issues and laws, as well as post adoption contact agreements. Debbie is a Fellow at the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (https://adoptionart.org) and the New York Attorneys for Adoption and Assisted Family Formation/NYAAFF (https://nyaaff.com)
For more information call (914) 939-1180 or email at [email protected]. You can also visit us on the web at www.ForeverFamiliesThroughAdoption.org.

New York Attorneys for Adoption & Family Formation (NYAAFF) is a group of adoption and assisted reproduction law attorneys and other child-welfare professionals from across New York State, who work with adoptive families, birth parents, adoption agencies, children, child welfare agencies and the court system to protect and advocate for the rights of adoptive children, children born through assisted reproduction and their families.

New York Attorneys for Adoption and Assisted Family Formation Launches our “Meet NYAAFF Members” campaign.

Please meet NYAAFF Member Bill Singer

For 40+ years, Bill Singer has been guiding families of all configurations in the creation and protection of their families.
He is of counsel to Diana Adams Law & Mediation, PLLC (https://dianaadamslaw.net/) in Brooklyn. That practice focuses on helping people of all gender identities and s*xual orientations, whether single, coupled, poly, or non-romantic partners. Bill is a Fellow at the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (https://adoptionart.org) and the New York Attorneys for Adoption and Assisted Family Formation (https://nyaaff.com)

New York Attorneys for Adoption & Family Formation (NYAAFF) is a group of adoption and assisted reproduction law attorneys and other child-welfare professionals from across New York State, who work with adoptive families, birth parents, adoption agencies, children, child welfare agencies and the court system to protect and advocate for the rights of adoptive children, children born through assisted reproduction and their families.

New York Attorneys for Adoption and Assisted Family Formation Launches our “Meet NYAAFF Members” campaign.

Please meet NYAAFF Member Nancy Hartzband

Nancy Hartzband is an attorney at Reproductive Possibilities, LLC (www.reproductivepossibilities.com), a nationally recognized surrogate agency. Nancy has practiced exclusively in the field of assisted reproductive technology law (egg/s***m/embryo donation arrangements and surrogacy arrangements) for well over ten years, having worked with countless individuals and couples in realizing their family formation goals. Prior to working at Reproductive Possibilities, LLC, Nancy practiced reproductive law as a member of the law firm of Melissa B. Brisman, Esq. LLC. She received a B.A. from Fordham University, Rose Hill and a law degree from Fordham University School of Law. In addition to being a member of New York Attorneys for Adoption and Assisted Family Formation/NYAAFF (https://nyaaff.com), Nancy is a fellow of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys/AAAA (https://adoptionart.org) and a certified mediator. Nancy can be reached at [email protected].

New York Attorneys for Adoption & Family Formation (NYAAFF) is a group of adoption and assisted reproduction law attorneys and other child-welfare professionals from across New York State, who work with adoptive families, birth parents, adoption agencies, children, child welfare agencies and the court system to protect and advocate for the rights of adoptive children, children born through assisted reproduction and their families.