When you are ready to grow your family with surrogacy, hiring a surrogacy agency is a must. Surrogacy agencies not only guide you through the process, they protect the rights of both you and the surrogate mother. Agencies support you through the entire process to make sure the surrogacy goes smoothly. The best surrogacy agencies are full-service, meaning they handle all of the legal, medical, and emotional aspects of surrogacy. If you’re ready to find a surrogate to grow your family, here is everything you need to know about choosing the right surrogacy agency for your needs.
Six Factors To Consider When Selecting A Surrogacy Agency
The process of surrogacy has many ups and downs. There are also risks, such as miscarriages and preterm births, as with any pregnancy.With so much at stake, you need compassionate experts at your side when things get complicated. When considering the best surrogate agencies, there are a number of factors to go into your choice including:
1.Full-Service Surrogacy Offerings: Surrogacy is both a legal and a medical arrangement. Having all surrogacy services under one roof can help make the process smoother. Additionally, it can reduce costs, as these providers often offer bundled services. With a full-service agency, there is less frustrating paperwork and no long timetables.
2.Experience In Successful Surrogacy: To ensure you’re working with qualified experts,it’s important to choose experienced professionals. At Stork Service, for example, our on-staff medical surrogacy team, surrogacy legal professionals, and surrogacy-focused therapists have over a decade of experience helping families grow from all around the world. An experienced agency knows how to simplify the surrogacy journey. More importantly, experienced agencies handle unexpected challenges that may arise.
3.Comprehensive Surrogacy Screening: A trustworthy surrogacy agency prioritizes the baby above all else. Therefore, the best surrogacy agencies have thorough screening both intended parents and potential surrogates is vital to protect the safety of the unborn child. Reputable agencies offer thorough checks that look at everything from whether the intended parents can offer a safe home environment to ensuring that the potential surrogate avoids smoking and drug use.
4.Careful Surrogacy Matching: One of the most valuable services that surrogacy agencies offer is matching. Matching not only helps intended parents find a woman to carry their child, but it also makes sure both sides are on the same page. For example, some intended parents want the child to have strong ties with the surrogate mother, while others wish to cut those ties. An agency will make sure that they find a surrogate mother that shares the wishes of the family.
5.Surrogacy Journey Support: Reputable surrogacy agencies are not hands-off. They are active throughout the entire process. They provide guidance and counseling at every step of the process. The best surrogacy agencies give psychological support to both parents and surrogate mothers. A really good agency becomes part of the family, always available to help no matter what.
6.Clear Pricing And Cost Breakdown: Surrogacy can get very expensive. There are a lot of different costs involved. These costs are not at a set price, but they cover expenses like:
- Agency fees
- Surrogate compensation
- Medical expenses like prenatal care and IVF costs
- Legal fees
- Travel expenses
- Living expenses for surrogate
Reputable surrogacy agencies will provide clear estimates for the surrogacy costs.
When vetting agencies, consider these factors when picking the one that is best for your growing family.
Where To Find The Best Surrogate Agencies
When vetting the best surrogacy agencies, no one method guarantees success. However, a great place to start is by looking at countries that have favorable surrogacy laws. In some cases, you may have to travel overseas to pursue surrogacy, but do not worry. International surrogacy can often be more affordable. Working with an agency in a country that has a supportive legal framework for surrogacy can help you avoid any illegitimate providers. It can also help make sure that you are protected.
Choosing The Right Surrogacy Agency For Your Family
Once you have made a list of providers,to ask: book a meeting to learn more about them. Here are some questions we recommend asking:
- How long has your surrogacy agency been in operation?
- What services do you include in your surrogacy agency fees?
- What licensing and accreditation does your surrogacy agency and staff have?
- Will you provide a reference for successful surrogacies?
- How does your surrogate screening and matching process work?
- What legal protections do you offer for intended families and surrogates?
- How do you handle legal and medical complications?
Ask these questions, and you will find an agency that is right for you. At Stork Service, we’re always happy to answer any questions. With over a decade of experience with surrogacy experts in-house, we’ll be able to provide any answer you need. Contact us now to get started.