Specialty apps report rise in platonic co-parenting matches

Interest in platonic co-parenting has grown recently, and platforms that match partners for procreation are experiencing a post-pandemic uptick, according to users and the apps themselves. Several apps say their user bases have expanded: Modamily reported growing from about 30,000 registered users in 2020 to 100,000 by 2025; LetsBeParents said it rose from about 1,200 active monthly users at its 2023 debut to 10,000; and CoParents said it had 150,000 registered users, up from 85,000 in 2020.

People using the services describe values-based vetting and long conversations to assess fit rather than romantic chemistry, and several platform operators encourage users to seek mental health support and legal counsel for co-parenting arrangements. Practitioners are seeing more demand for legal agreements that address custody, visitation and financial obligations, a reproductive lawyer said, and psychologists recommend counseling to help prospective co-parents and their future children navigate the relationships.

Users profiled include couples and singles who matched on apps and went on to have children through I.V.F. or at-home insemination, and one three-parent household in Montreal said they share daily care and split expenses three ways.

Key Topics

Culture, Platonic Co-parenting, Modamily, Letsbeparents, Coparents, Ivf