--- title: "Building families shouldn't be this hard" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/296634045.md" description: "Grindr CEO George Arison and Sen. John Hickenlooper advocate for federal reforms to make parenthood more accessible, citing high costs and legal complexities of IVF and surrogacy. They propose three key measures: making fertility expenses tax-deductible, modernizing insurance rules to support employer-provided benefits, and adopting clear parentage laws like Colorado's. The authors argue these non-partisan changes would strengthen families and the economy." datetime: "2026-08-21T15:14:29.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/296634045.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296634045.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/296634045.md) generator: "portal-rs" --- # Building families shouldn't be this hard The deeply personal decision of when and how to build a family has suddenly become part of a national conversation. At the heart of this conversation is the profound hope held by millions of Americans: to one day hold one’s own child for the first time. For each of us, that moment came after years of uncertainty, hope, and extraordinary help from others. Our paths were different, but they led to the same realization: You are not free if you don’t have the freedom to decide when and how to have a family. One of us welcomed a son after doctors said there was only a one-in-a-million chance of conceiving without in vitro fertilization. The other became a father to two children through surrogacy after nearly three years of navigating the financial, legal and emotional complexities of the process. Those experiences changed us and made one thing abundantly clear: For too many Americans, becoming a parent is far more difficult than it should be. No one should have to win the financial or legal lottery to become a parent. Yet today’s system is too often defined by staggering costs, outdated policies and unnecessary legal uncertainty. Families and same-sex couples spend years navigating barriers that have little to do with medicine and everything to do with bureaucracy or politics. That should change. If we are serious about strengthening families, growing our economy, and investing in the next generation, we should be making it easier for Americans to become parents. This is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue, it’s an American one. When Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) shared her experience navigating the costly and complicated fertility care system, the response cut across the usual dividing lines with praise from conservative and progressive media personalities. As a nation, we disagree on many things. But we agree that having a family is a gift and a right, and our system should make it both accessible and affordable for all. Fortunately, the solutions don’t require reinventing the system. They require modernizing it. Congress and the administration should focus on three practical reforms. First, make fertility-related expenses — including in-vitro fertilization and surrogacy — fully tax deductible for all Americans seeking to start a family. Families routinely spend tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars pursuing parenthood. Those costs should be treated like the essential medical and family-building expenses they are. Second, modernize federal insurance rules so that employers can more easily offer comprehensive fertility and surrogacy benefits. While some insurance plans cover portions of IVF, coverage for the medical care associated with surrogacy remains inconsistent or nonexistent. Updating federal guidance would give employers greater flexibility to support employees who rely on assisted reproductive technology to build their families. One of us runs a company whose employees are eligible for up to $300,000 in family formation support that can go towards IVF, surrogacy and adoption. Public policy should make it easier for other employers to follow suit. Third, states should follow Colorado’s lead and pass clear parentage laws, including orders that let intended parents establish their legal rights before the baby is even born. That way, when a child arrives, there is no question about who his or her legal parents are. No family should begin one of its happiest days facing avoidable legal confusion. Federal policy should also adopt the modern medical definition of infertility that recognizes infertility is not defined solely by months of unsuccessful attempts to conceive, but by a person’s inability to achieve a successful pregnancy based on their full medical, sexual and reproductive history. That would ensure today’s policies reflect today’s science and today’s families. These ideas are already gaining traction across the country. Colorado and California have demonstrated that thoughtful reforms can expand access to fertility care while supporting families. George was proud to support California’s landmark expansion of in vitro insurance coverage, and employers are increasingly recognizing that helping employees build families is both good policy and good business. Like all Americans, our stories are different. Our politics are not identical. But parenthood has a way of clarifying priorities. Every parent who dreams of raising a child should have a fair opportunity to pursue that dream. This should not be controversial. It should be one of the easiest decisions we make for a better America. *George Arison is chairman and CEO of Grindr Inc. John Hickenlooper (D) is a father to two sons and the junior U.S. senator from Colorado.* ### Related Stocks - [GRND.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GRND.US.md) - [GRND+.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GRND+.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [Grindr director Daniel Brooks Baer sells 3,500 common shares for $54,775](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296649393.md) - [Grindr CLO Zachary Katz disposes of 10,172 common shares valued at $161,022.76](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296395358.md) - [PointAI Unveils Physics-Based Simulation AI for Faster, More Accurate & Affordable Digital Fashion Commerce](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296478774.md) - [Appeals court hears landmark interstate banking suit](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296254671.md) - [Colorado’s largest electric school bus fleet gets a 26-plug charging hub](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296528544.md) --- > **Disclaimer: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.**