Abstract
Introduction Very little is known about the attachment figures of children born to parents with minoritized sexual identities who used assisted reproduction, despite the importance of attachment for healthy child development. The present study
examined the identification and utilization of attachment figures (e.g., parents, siblings, teachers, friends, cousins) for general attachment and companionship needs, as well as in context-specific and emotion-eliciting attachment situations, by
donor-conceived children of lesbian mothers in middle childhood.
Methods Thirty-six children 6–12 years of age (Myears = 9.20, SD=2.50; 47.22% assigned females at birth) of lesbian mothers through donor insemination, all residing in Italy, completed an open-ended interview to identify their attachment figures.
Results Children first sought parents for general attachment needs, context-specific attachment situations, and emotioneliciting situations at school, and demonstrated no preference between the biological and the non-biological mother or the
primary and the secondary caregiver. Also, children first sought peers (i.e., siblings, friends, cousins) as much as parents for
general companionship needs, while they first sought parents for context-specific companionship.
Conclusion In middle childhood, lesbian mothers continue to function as safe havens and secure bases for their children.
However, it cannot be excluded that children first turn to their biological mother for context-specific attachment situations.
Also, children seek out peers more in specific companionship situations (e.g., sharing secrets, playing).
Policy Implications As lesbian mothers through donor insemination effectively meet children’s attachment needs, regardless
of their biological status and caregiving role, the lack of legal recognition of these families in Italy is empirically unfounded.