Seen At 11: Strangers Turning To Co-Parenting To Raise A Child

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- You can find a date online, or even a friend or a hobby.

But now, a growing number of people are turning to the web to find total strangers with whom to raise children.

As conventional as Fabian Blue and Dawn Pieke's little family looks -- with mom, dad and baby Indigo -- how the two became parents has a lot of people shocked and even outraged, CBS 2's Kristine Johnson reported Wednesday.

"They thought I was crazy," Pike said.

The pair met on a Facebook site for people looking to have a child and raise him or her together - no romance necessary, Johnson reported.

"We hit it off instantaneously," Blue said.

They say they both wanted a family, but had been unlucky in love and didn't want to raise a baby alone.

"I thought, you know, this isn't right. I need to find a parent, a dad, for my potential child," Pieke explained.

The two lived worlds apart and got to know each other for months, before Blue moved in with Pieke in Nebraska and decided to have a baby using artificial insemination, Johnson reported.

"It's really risky, but in life, you've got to take those chances," Blue said.

Blue and Pike aren't alone in their unusual journey. More people are taking similar chances and turning to websites such as Modamily and Family by Design, Johnson reported.

Darren Spedale, who runs a co-parenting website, said thousands have signed on.

"There's clearly an interest in thinking about new ways of parenting that people haven't thought about before," Spedale said.

Experts, however, say co-parenters may not realize what they're in for.

"Parenting is hard as it is, and then having all of these other challenges of having people that maybe don't know each other well, or who aren't going to be together during all the tough times, could pose some challenges," family therapist Tammy Gold said.

Pike and Blue are no longer living together, but the pair stays in close touch, Johnson reported. They plan on being back in the same city soon and said they are a committed family and want others to know about the joys of co-parenting.

"She's given us everything we've ever wanted. It's pretty priceless," Pike said.

"If I can inspire just one other person out there, then I'm a happy guy," Blue added.

Experts highly recommend that anyone entering into a co-parent arrangement draw up a legal agreement that clearly spells out responsibilities.

Laws relating to co-parenting vary from state to state.

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