Embryo Donation and Adoption: Building Awareness to Improve the Lives of 21st Century Families - Project Purpose The National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) is a national nonprofit organization based in Knoxville, Tennessee, dedicated to protecting the lives and dignity of human embryos through embryo donation and adoption. With this project, NEDC will increase national awareness of embryo adoption and provide the medical and administrative services families need to adopt embryos — placing the long-term well-being and best interests of the child at the center of every activity. The project responds to a clear need: an estimated 1.5 million human embryos remain in storage in the United States, while many couples who could donate or adopt are unaware that embryo adoption is a safe, ethical, and meaningful option. Activities Working with established partners, NEDC will carry out a coordinated national program across five objectives: Awareness. A national, multi-channel digital and educational campaign reaching prospective embryo donors, adoptive families, and healthcare professionals, delivered through NEDC, Christian Adoption Consultants (CAC), and a professional marketing partner. Services. Adoption-equivalent medical and administrative services, including screening, counseling, home study oversight, and post-placement supervision coordinated by a qualified case worker through CAC’s licensed social workers and its licensed adoption professional partner, Adored Adoption Agency. Open donation. Counseling and education that affirmatively present open or identified donation as the recommended model, protecting the child’s right to know their biological origins; anonymous donation is not promoted or encouraged. Professional training. Live webinars, on-demand modules, a podcast, and an updated video library that train healthcare and adoption professionals in child-centered embryo adoption practices. Family preparation. A structured Family Readiness process and post-placement follow-up at the six- and twelve-month milestones that support each family in honoring their child’s identity and biological-origins story. Expected Deliverables and Outcomes Within the first year, NEDC expects to: 1) Reach a minimum of 235,000 unique individuals annually across donor, adoptive-family, and healthcare-professional audiences; 2) Provide adoption-equivalent services to a minimum of 150 individuals and couples annually, with a 100% target completion rate for required screening; 3) Achieve and maintain at least an 80% open or identified donation rate among arrangements facilitated; 4) Train a minimum of 200 healthcare providers and adoption professionals annually; and 5) Increase public knowledge of embryo adoption through educational content distributed nationally, supported by a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Improvement (MEI) Plan that tracks progress and drives continuous improvement. Intended Beneficiaries The project serves three audiences: couples and individuals with surplus frozen embryos who may consider donation; prospective adoptive families seeking to build their families through embryo adoption; and the healthcare and adoption professionals who counsel and assist them. Above all, the project serves the children who already exist as cryopreserved embryos - advancing their right to a loving family, to knowledge of their biological origins, and to the protections of adoption-equivalent screening and supervision. Funding NEDC requests a Year 1 federal award of $498,904 under PA-EAA-26-001. No grant funds will be used for any purpose inconsistent with the program’s responsiveness criteria.
