What is a Surrogacy Agency?

Why Working with the Right Agency Matters 

As you begin to research surrogacy, figuring out how to start your journey can be the hardest part. How do intended parents and surrogates find each other? What type of surrogacy is right for me? There are many questions to ask, but getting the answers can be easy when working with experienced surrogacy agencies. 

Whether you’re an intended parent or a prospective surrogate, you don’t have to go through your surrogacy journey alone. 

You can speak to a surrogacy professional ready to answer all of your important questions today when filling out this online form

Until then, this guide will explain the role of surrogacy agencies, the many services they provide and how an agency for surrogacy can ensure that your journey is safe, ethical and the life-changing experience you deserve. 

What are Surrogacy Agencies? 

Surrogacy agencies offer experienced surrogacy professionals ready to help guide intended parents and surrogates through the process of surrogacy. They help surrogates and intended parents:

  • Complete the  detailed screening process
  • Match with each other based on their shared surrogacy goals and preferences
  • Connect with additional professionals, like fertility clinics and surrogacy attorneys
  • And more

The ultimate goal of a surrogacy agency is to ensure both parties have a safe, smooth and ethical surrogacy journey. 

Over the last decade, surrogacy has shifted away from intended parents searching for a surrogate in another country to working with surrogacy agencies in the USA to find qualified surrogates. 

Part of this shift away from surrogacy migration is because costs have come down for intended parents, particularly when working with a reputable agency for surrogacy. 

Additionally, surrogacy agencies in the United States make it much easier for intended parents and surrogates to connect, share their incredible journey and build a relationship that continues to grow long after the baby’s birth. 

Remember, you can always reach out to a surrogacy specialist to get more information on how American surrogacy agencies can help you have the best possible experience and provide you with the services you need. 

So, what are the services surrogacy agencies provide? 

Surrogacy Agencies: Services and Support 

Surrogacy is a lengthy process, and an experienced professional’s help and guidance can get you through the physical, emotional and medical challenges surrogacy can present. Here are just a few of the helpful services a gestational surrogacy agency can provide:

Case Management and Support

Intended parents often choose surrogacy because they’re single and want to raise a child, a couple struggling with infertility or members of the LGBTQ community ready for parenthood. Being physically or biologically unable to carry a baby to term means a surrogate is their only chance at having a biological child. It takes a special person to become a surrogate and give this generous gift to these hopeful parents.

Both intended parents and surrogates deserve to work with an agency that can manage every aspect of the journey throughout the surrogacy process. 

Surrogate Matching Agency

Another important service surrogacy agencies provide matching intended parents and surrogates. Based on your specifications and preferences, the best surrogacy agencies will find prospective surrogates and intended parents with similar goals within the surrogacy journey and use specific personality traits, lifestyle, personal beliefs, and other identifiable features for matching.

Referrals to the Best Legal Surrogacy Professionals

There are also legal aspects to surrogacy, including navigating state laws. Creating a legal contract and developing an agreement between intended parents and surrogates requires the services of a surrogacy attorney. But how do you find an experienced attorney? 

That’s where surrogacy agencies come in. When you work with the right agency, the additional professionals needed to complete your surrogacy journey, such as attorneys, are coordinated on your behalf. 

Other Important Benefits of a Surrogacy Agency

Here are some of the other important services you get: 

  • Your agency manages every aspect of your surrogacy journey  
  • You can have peace of mind knowing you are working with experienced professionals  
  • You get education and support every step of the way  
  • You get to create a personalized surrogacy plan  
  • You get connected with trusted attorneys and medical professionals  
  • Your agency and professional will coordinate with the fertility clinic to help get all appointments and medications  
  • And more 

Want more information on services provided to you by surrogacy agencies in the United States? Complete this online form to connect to a surrogacy specialist today. 

Are Surrogacy Agencies Licensed? 

For the most part, no. Surrogacy is still relatively new, and most states have yet to enact specific laws allowing surrogacy agencies to get licensed. Because of this, many surrogacy professionals are instead referred to as “surrogate programs” or “surrogacy companies.”

In most cases, regardless of the terminology a professional chooses to use, their role during the surrogacy process will be similar — though not all gestational surrogacy programs offer the same level of experience and support. 

This is maybe the most important reason why choosing the right agency is vital. 

Choosing a Surrogacy Agency – Things to Know

“Mom and pop” surrogacy companies often arrange for intended parents and prospective surrogates to meet and start the process, but how do you know they are working with quality fertility clinics? How do you know they will follow through on providing you with the services they claim to offer? 

Wouldn’t you rather work with an agency that you can trust and provide testimonials of happy and grateful intended parents and surrogates who experienced a safe, ethical and life-changing journey? 

Want to know how to find the right surrogacy agencies today? This online form gets you connected to professionals that can help you get connected to a surrogacy agency capable of giving you the care and services you deserve. A safe, healthy and ethical surrogacy journey is just a click away! 

What Types of Surrogacies do Surrogacy Agencies Handle? 

Today, surrogacy professionals almost exclusively handle gestational surrogacy cases.

Traditionally, the surrogacy process was achieved using artificial insemination. In this type of surrogacy, called traditional surrogacy, the surrogate is the child’s biological mother. 

With traditional surrogacy creating a genetic link between the baby and the surrogate, parental rights and custody issues can arise. No case was more impactful on surrogacy than “Baby M,” which you can read about more here

Because traditional surrogacy can create so many legal, ethical and emotional challenges, the most reputable and experienced surrogacy agencies only offer gestational surrogacy programs. 

Gestational surrogacy removes any genetic link between a surrogate and the baby because the embryo comprises the egg and sperm of the intended parents and/or third-party donors. This embryo is transferred via in vitro fertilization (IVF), a medical procedure at a trusted and experienced fertility clinic.  

The biggest benefit of gestational surrogacy is the clearly defined roles everyone has going into the process; because she has no genetic tie to the baby, the surrogate has no intention or interest in keeping the baby. 

As a prospective surrogate, you can experience the incredible pregnancy journey knowing you are giving an intended parent a special gift without having a genetic attachment to the baby. 

Want more information on IVF? You can find it here

Gestational surrogacy programs offer many benefits to both intended parents and surrogates, including avoiding complex challenges regarding parental rights once the baby is born. 

During the third trimester, intended parents will often obtain a pre-birth order to establish their legal parental rights. This is a common practice and a part of the preparation for parenthood for intended parents. 

You can find comprehensive information on the medical process of surrogacy by visiting this website. You can also get connected to a surrogacy specialist by filling out this online form

Do Intended Parents and Surrogates in an Identified Surrogacy Need to Use Surrogacy Agencies? 

Suppose you’re an intended parent or a surrogate, and you have already found a match for your surrogacy journey. In that case, you might be wondering whether the use of an agency for surrogacy is necessary. 

You have the option to go through your surrogacy journey independently and find the services you will need on your own, but wouldn’t you rather receive the benefits of working with the knowledgeable, in-house professionals that surrogacy agencies provide? 

Even though you have already identified one another as a surrogate or intended parent, you can still receive the many benefits surrogacy companies, and agencies provide. Working with an agency, you would skip matching and focus on moving forward with the next steps, including the surrogate screening, legal contract, embryo transfer and prenatal care. 

For an in-depth look at the steps of the surrogacy process, check out this complete guide. You can always reach out to a surrogacy specialist to get more information on surrogacy agencies, their services and the process of surrogacy. 

How Do I Find the Right Surrogacy Agency for Me? 

First, you need to fill out this online contact form and connect with a professional ready to provide you with important information for both intended parents and prospective surrogates.  

You will also get connected with the best American surrogacy agency that can provide the services and support to ensure your experience is safe, ethical and results in you sharing this incredible journey. 

The guidance and support you receive will make a significant impact on your surrogacy experience.