History of success
Years in business
Screening process for surrogates
How are the intended parents matched with surrogates?
Relationship focus
Expenses for the intended parents
Compensation for the surrogate
Scope of services
Once it has been established that your family building process would involve a surrogate, the next logical step is to start looking for a surrogacy agency that can help you iron out the formalities as seamlessly as possible. Luckily, the majority of states in the US have very surrogacy-friendly laws unlike some other countries in the world where it is still not permissible.
However, owing to the conducive surrogacy environment in the US, there is a huge number of options available when it comes to surrogacy agencies and with so many players in the market, it can get extremely difficult to pick the right one. There’s also added apprehension because of the fact that this decision will impact how your child is born and how comfortable you would be throughout the entirety of the pregnancy.
To help you start your search, we advise you go through the following parameters to make sure you have all the important items checked off.
History of success When you set out to search for a surrogacy agency, be it online or through personal reference, one of the first few things that you should gauge is the background story and history of this particular agency. What does it stand for? What is their guiding philosophy? These things are not just idealistic but integral in the larger scheme of things as they dictate how the consultancy would go about its operations and processes. For instance, many surrogacy agencies have actual former surrogates on the staff or even as their founding members. Needless to say, you can always count on some additional guidance and first-hand advice in these cases. Another example would be our surrogacy agency, founded by a military veteran who was motivated to start this initiative after witnessing so many of his fellow army-men struggle with infertility post-combat. As a token of gratitude to our servicemen, we offer a special discount on our services to military veterans as well as active duty soldiers.
Years in Business and live birth rates How long has a surrogacy agency been in business? This is a conventional indicator of how experienced an organization is in its affairs. The longer running a company is, the higher the chances of it having more stable relationships in the industry as well as more proficiency with routine processes.
Screening process for surrogates Surrogacy agencies get hundreds of thousands of GC applicants on a routine basis. However, every agency has its own unique screening requirements pertaining to who gets to be onboarded and matched to a set of intended parents. The more rigorous the screening process, the more comfortable you can be during the matching process. At Patriot Conceptions we pride ourselves in going to great lengths to ensure we adhere to the highest standards of selection when it comes to recruiting gestational carriers. All our GC’s are ASRM qualified and have gone through the prerequisite medical clearance and a rigorous screening process.
How are the IPs matched with the surrogates? It is of utmost importance for any reputable surrogacy agency to ensure that the matching process is in line with the wishes and desires of the intended parents. For instance, say you wish to get matched to a surrogate who belongs to the same state, even if that means paying a higher compensation, just so you can be physically close to her and the unborn baby. So, it’s the agency’s responsibility to make sure they only introduce you to local candidates. Surrogate compensation can vary greatly from state-to-state with some states, such as California being one of the highest-paying ones.
Relationship orientation The relationship between a surrogate and the intended parents is very unique and delicate. Communication is key, which is why it’s important that the surrogacy agency guarantees that the two parties can have a seamless connection and be comfortable with each other. Many surrogacy agencies also have in-house mental health experts to cater to the GCs and/or the IPs given how surrogacy can be a roller coaster of emotions for both.
Expenses for the intended parents Admittedly, all the above mentioned considerations are fundamental to making a decision about which surrogacy agency you want to work with, however, this process requires a hefty amount of money and that’s something you ought to consider for sure. Needless to say, don’t let money be the only yardstick since you don’t want to be stuck with an agency that leaves a lot of hiccups in the process but at the same time, be smart about how you plan on funding your surrogacy journey.
Compensation for the surrogate Surrogate compensation is a big consideration as that would be money that you would be shelling out exclusively. Don’t let it intimidate you though, all surrogacy agencies are required to give you a detailed breakdown of costs and expenses so that you know where your money is being spent.
Scope of services Although most agencies have pretty much the same set of offerings including a candidate matching, legal counsel, fertility clinic, ob/gyn, lab testing, medical clearance etc however, it’s good practice to make a list of all your narrowed down agencies and see what each has to offer in terms of core and auxiliary services.
