What's My Place in this World? A Response to Professor Ellen Waldman's 'What Do We Tell the Children?'

Abstract

Ask a child what she wants to know about her parents, and herself, and she’ll likely respond, according to her age, with something having to do with her search for meaning in life. A child, particularly one approaching young adulthood, wants to know what her origins are and what they mean for her future. The debate presented by this Wells Conference panel asked what children of assisted reproductive techniques (ART) should be told. This Article responds to Professor Ellen Waldman’s suggestions by seeking to listen to children themselves to discern their deepest needs, above all adult voices.

Keywords: assisted reproduction, IVF, child[ren, genetic, biological, identity

JEL Classification: K10