COVID-19 stops Australian parents getting to surrogate babies

Surrogate babies intended for Australian couples will be unable to be picked up for months because of worldwide COVID-19 travel bans.

• Brisbane couple’s ‘James Bond’ dash to get surrogate baby

Exclusive: Surrogate babies intended for Australian couples will be unable to be picked up for months because of worldwide travel bans.

At least 52 couples across the country are expecting the arrival through an overseas surrogate in the next three months.

But with travel bans likely in place for a year, some babies will end up in orphanages or the care of nannies until the parents can arrive.

“They’re not called orphanages, but that’s what they are,” Australian Russell Shields, who is in Georgia picking up his surrogate triplets, said.

Surrogate babies for Australian intended parents were due to be born in Ukraine, Georgia, the United States, Kenya, Mexico and Canada, with parents paying between $80,000 and $190,000 for the service.

Russell Shields, 35, of WA, with Clayton, 1, Julian, Tristan and Georgia, born on February 27 in Georgia, Eastern Europe. They are stuck in Georgia because of coronavirus travel bans and can't get birth certificates for the kids. Picture: Supplied

Some countries require parents to be present to sign a child’s birth certificate and DNA from the babies and parents must be matched before they can receive an Australian passport or substitute travel papers to be taken home.

Parents have been encouraged to send DNA samples to Australian officials before they leave to pick up their children to speed up the process.

Sam Everingham, of surrogacy organisation Growing Families, has been pleading with Australian consulates across the world to help people pick up their children.

Visas for Ukraine were “currently impossible”, he said.

Triplets born to Australian couple Kate and Russell Shields who are now trapped in Georgia. Picture: Supplied Picture: Supplied

“It means children are going to be left lying in hospitals with no-one to look after them. I’ve been trying to pull some strings but it’s really bad,” he said.

At least one Australian couple has been able to get a child out of Georgia, but Mr Shields expected to be stuck there with his partner Kate, 48, and their one year old, for some time.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement it was providing consular support to a number of intended parents.

“Given the unprecedented scale of the global interruption to travel due to COVID-19, not all Australians travellers will be able to return home at the time they may wish to,” the statement said.

“Australian citizens and permanent residents are able to apply through the Department of Home Affairs for an exemption to travel on compassionate grounds.”

Originally published as COVID-19 stops Australian parents getting to surrogate babies