CNN’s Van Jones welcomed a baby with his longtime friend and said they will raise their daughter as ‘conscious co-parents.’ Here’s what you should know about platonic parenting.

Emmy Award-winning journalist Van Jones announced the birth of his daughter over the weekend.

The 53-year-old told People he and his friend Noemi will be “conscious co-parents.”

“After the COVID lockdown, I got clear that I wanted another kid. I discovered that my friend Noemi also wanted a baby,” Jones said. So we decided to join forces and become conscious co-parents. It’s a concept that I hope more people will explore and consider.”

Jones has spoken in the past about co-parenting his other two children with his ex-wife Jana Carter with “no beef and no drama.”

Platonic co-parenting – or raising a child with a non-romantic partner – has gotten more attention in recent years. Modamily and PollenTree, which are platforms that facilitate co-parenting, reported a 30-50% increase in traffic since the beginning of the pandemic, according to The Guardian.

Platonic parents have children with non-romantic partners

Like Jones, friends, and acquaintances who want children aren’t waiting for the perfect romantic partner to come around.

Some people who decide to platonic co-parent do so with a lifelong friend. Others pay for online services to find a compatible person who wants to co-parent with them or who has similar values and beliefs on raising children.

Insiders previously reported people who platonically co-parent can decide to have children in a variety of ways, including adoption and artificial insemination interventions like IVF. However, these methods can come with added costs and complications.

Sabrina Shaheen Cronin, a lawyer, and family coach, previously told Insider that people interested in platonic parenting should protect themselves legally, develop effective communication, and discuss goals and values before entering an arrangement.