Frequently Asked Questions

DepartWith is a modern marketplace that connects people looking to build families through co-parenting arrangements and donor matching. Whether you're a single parent by choice, an LGBTQ+ couple, or someone open to non-traditional family structures, DepartWith helps you find compatible partners, donors, and surrogates in a safe, verified environment. We handle identity verification, matching, and provide tools for communication and legal agreement templates.

Creating a profile and browsing matches is completely free. Free members can view profiles, set their preferences, and receive match suggestions. Our Premium plan unlocks unlimited messaging, advanced filters, video introductions, profile verification badges, and priority in search results. You can upgrade or cancel at any time.

DepartWith is available worldwide. You can create a profile and connect with potential co-parents or donors regardless of where you live. However, we strongly recommend familiarizing yourself with the family and reproductive laws in your jurisdiction, as these vary significantly by country and even by state or province. Our Co-Parenting Guide covers legal considerations in detail.

When you create your profile, you fill out your preferences for family structure, involvement level, location, lifestyle, and values. Our matching algorithm compares these factors to suggest compatible co-parents and donors. You'll receive a compatibility score for each potential match. From there, you can express interest, and if both parties agree, you can start communicating directly through our platform.

Yes. Your profile can indicate openness to both donor and co-parenting arrangements. Many users start out unsure of which path is right for them, and conversations with matches often clarify the best fit. You control what role you're listed under in search results, and you can change this at any time from your profile settings.

Co-parenting means two or more adults agree to share the responsibilities of raising a child. Co-parents are actively involved in the child's life on an ongoing basis, though the exact arrangement varies (50/50 custody, weekends, etc.). Donor matching connects individuals or couples with sperm or egg donors. Donors may be known or anonymous, and their involvement after donation depends on the agreement. DepartWith supports both models and helps you find exactly the arrangement that works for you.

Absolutely. DepartWith was built to serve all family structures. LGBTQ+ individuals and couples are welcome and celebrated on our platform. Our matching system accommodates any combination of preferences, and many of our members are same-sex couples seeking donors, co-parents, or surrogates. Inclusivity is at the core of everything we do.

Surrogacy matching on DepartWith works similarly to our donor and co-parent matching. Intended parents and potential surrogates create profiles detailing their preferences, expectations, and requirements. Our platform facilitates introductions but does not handle medical or legal aspects of surrogacy directly. We strongly recommend working with a surrogacy attorney and a fertility clinic. Surrogacy laws vary dramatically by country and state, so professional legal guidance is essential.

Donors can choose varying levels of anonymity. You can use a display name, hide your photos from general search, and control exactly which details are visible on your profile. However, co-parenting arrangements typically require more transparency, since you'll be sharing parental responsibilities. Our platform gives you granular privacy controls so you can reveal information at your own pace as trust develops with a match.

Your privacy is our top priority. All personal data is encrypted at rest and in transit. We never sell your information to third parties. Your profile details are only visible to other verified members, and you control what is shown publicly versus shared only with matches. Financial information (for Premium subscriptions) is processed through secure payment providers and never stored on our servers.

Currently, all members verify their email address during signup. We are working on additional identity verification options including government-issued photo ID review. Premium members receive a badge on their profile and in search results.

Every profile and message thread has a Report button. When you submit a report, our trust and safety team reviews it within 24 hours. Depending on the severity, we may issue a warning, suspend the account, or permanently ban the user. For urgent safety concerns, please email info@departwith.com directly with "URGENT" in the subject line. We take all reports seriously and maintain strict community guidelines.

Premium members get unlimited messaging with matches, advanced search filters (education, ethnicity, health history, lifestyle), video introduction uploads, a verified profile badge, priority placement in search results, read receipts on messages, and access to our co-parenting agreement templates. Premium is billed monthly and you can cancel anytime without penalty.

You can delete your account at any time from your profile settings. Go to Settings, then scroll to "Delete Account" and confirm. All your profile data, messages, and match history will be permanently removed within 30 days. If you have an active Premium subscription, it will be cancelled immediately. We do retain anonymized, aggregated data for analytics purposes as described in our Privacy Policy.

Our affiliate program lets you earn by referring new members to DepartWith. Share your unique referral link, and when someone signs up and upgrades to Premium, you earn a commission. Payouts are processed monthly. Whether you're a blogger, fertility coach, family lawyer, or simply want to share the platform with your community, the affiliate program is free to join. Visit our Affiliates page to get started.