5 Questions to Ask When Becoming a Parent Through Surrogacy

Our team in Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, and New York, often talks to people who have considered pursuing an independent surrogacy without the help of an agency. Many intended parents realize that, in the end, pursuing surrogacy without the experience and assistance of experts can be a real headache and sometimes cost more than going it alone. Here are some additional advantages of using a full-service agency and five important questions to ask.

A full-service agency, like Circle, has everything under one roof, including:

1. A legal team experienced in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) law. Lawyers draft and negotiate contracts, make sure you’re abiding by the correct laws and procedures of the states and/or specific countries involved, help ensure you can bring your child(ren) home without issues and be confident that your parental rights are secure.
2. Experienced team members that include parents through surrogacy, former surrogates and egg donors, licensed social workers, and case managers. Circle is led by a team of people who have had their own firsthand experiences with surrogacy. We set out to educate, lead, and guide you through your journey, working tirelessly to help you achieve success and fulfill your dream.
3. A focus on relationships and open communication. Greater levels of contact and closer relationships between intended parents and their surrogates and/or egg donors make for a smoother process. Many of our parents, surrogates, and egg donors have developed lasting relationships with each other and stay in touch in the years after their journeys.
4. Flexibility. There are a lot of variables involved in the surrogacy process, making every surrogacy and egg donation experience different. It’s important that the agency you’re considering has the flexibility to address your individual needs whether you are a surrogate, egg donor, or a gay or heterosexual intended parent from the United States or abroad.
5. History of success. A surrogacy agency’s history is one of the most important factors to consider.  When doing your research, make sure the agency has a track record of successful journeys.

1. How do I begin the process?

At Circle Surrogacy, everyone begins their surrogacy journey with a free two- to three-hour consultation.  We offer consultations via Skype, in our Boston office, New York office, Burlingame office, or in one of the many major cities on our travel schedule. We have put all traveling on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, but have continued to offer virtual consultations as well as informational webinars for intended parents. In these consultations, you’ll hear from an experienced attorney as well as a social worker or licensed therapist. We’ll tell you about our program offerings and agency protocols. The consultation team addresses the surrogacy process of matching with an egg donor and/or a surrogate, legal implications, insurance, surrogacy costs, and financing (where applicable). We give plenty of time at the end of the consultation to answer questions or review any areas that may still be unclear to you.

If you’re ready to start your surrogacy journey within the next 12 to 18 months, we recommend you request a consultation today.

2. How much does surrogacy cost?

The cost for gestational surrogacy, including all agency fees, attorneys’ fees, screening fees, surrogate fees, and medical and insurance costs, ranges from $125,000 to $165,000, depending on the program chosen. To get a complete understanding of our program’s costs, please visit our Costs page.

3. Is there surrogacy financing available?

We understand that planning for surrogacy costs can be challenging, so we’ve worked hard to develop competitive and fair surrogacy financing options for our intended parents. Our Circle Surrogacy Financing Plan is available to intended parents who reside in select states within the U.S. and allows them to finance a large part of their journey and pay in monthly installments.

If you are not eligible for Circle Surrogacy’s exclusive Financing Program with Origin Finance, we also offer lending options with Prosper Healthcare. With simple financing options of up to $100,000 toward all surrogacy expenses for U.S. residents and with over $5 billion funded and more than 300,000 applicants serviced through their lenders, Prosper is the premier financing company in the fertility industry.

4. Why Circle Surrogacy?

If you’ve done your research, you know there are many surrogacy agencies out there to choose from, so why choose Circle Surrogacy? We find that intended parents who choose our program do so because of our successful history, variety of program options, vast array of legal expertise, and focus on relationship-building and long-term support. As the most successful surrogacy agency with a 99.3% guaranteed success rate for bringing home a baby, our surrogacy clinics and knowledgeable staff provide the space and guidance you need for a smooth and successful journey. The staff at Circle Surrogacy is made up of former parents through surrogacy, as well as former surrogates and egg donors. Since 1995, Circle Surrogacy has been helping intended parents from 72 countries and 6 continents not only become parents but also bring their children home safely with their parental rights secure. We list important considerations to think about when choosing an agency in a separate blog post.

5. Where do I sign up?

Whether you’re an intended parent, a surrogate, or an egg donor, when you embark on a journey with us, we promise to be beside you every step of the way. If you’re interested in becoming a parent through surrogacy, please fill out our parent form so we can be in touch with you today!

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