A White Florida Couple Reaches a Custody Agreement for Their Black Daughter After IVF Mix-Up

There is an update in the case of a white Florida couple who were implanted with the embryo of a Black baby. New decisions have been made on the couple’s custody of their 7-month-old daughter, Shea Score Mills, and how Mills’ biological parents will fit into their family picture.

As we previously told you, on Dec. 11, 2025, Tiffany Score and Steven Mills had a huge surprise when their daughter was born Black. The couple then sued the Fertility Center of Orlando in Longwood, Florida, where they had their in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure done. They also sued the head reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. Milton McNichol, for implanting Score with someone else’s embryo instead of the three viable ones she had.

The lawsuit led to the Fertility Center of Orlando closing down for good, and in April, their daughter’s biological parents, who wish to remain anonymous, were found after the couple urged the clinic to search for them. Now Score and Mills, who have fought to keep the baby in their care, have finally reached a custody agreement with their daughter’s biological parents.

According to court documents obtained by People, it is a “mutually devised custody agreement” that grants Score and Mills continued full care of their daughter. However, Score and Mills also plan to build a friendship with Shea’s biological parents. Further details of that relationship will remain private.

Related: The Story Behind Why a Black Mother Named Her Kids After U.S. States Will Impress You

A representative for the couple said, “Tiffany and Steve are committed to respecting the privacy concerns of Shea’s genetic parents, with whom they have begun and intend to continue to foster a relationship of friendship and trust. They are also committed to protecting Shea from harmful intrusion on her privacy,” per People.

As for the case of the three missing embryos, one labeled under Score’s name was found at the Fertility Center of Orlando. It is being transferred and kept at another Florida clinic. There, it will be tested for DNA, according to Fox 35.

Outside of positive updates on the custody of their daughter and one of their missing embryos being found, the couple might be spending some more time in the courtroom as they move ahead with their malpractice suit against Dr. Milton McNichol and his clinic.

According to Fox 35, their counsel stated, “We will proceed separately with addressing the irrefutable malpractice committed by Dr. McNichol, the embryologists at issue, and the various clinics and laboratories with which they were associated, to obtain the justice and recovery our three clients deserve.”