How to Get Started with Gestational Surrogacy

Are you thinking of taking the next steps to grow your family? Here at Family Source, it’s our goal to help make those dreams a reality. Surrogacy is a great way to help deserving families around the world become parents. It’s also a popular option for many same-sex couples who wish to be biological parents to a child. 

If you and your partner are interested in pursuing your dreams of parenthood, below are tips on what to expect with the gestational surrogacy program.

Arrange a Consultation 

The first step of the surrogacy process is finding a trustworthy and credible agency to schedule a consultation. At Family Source, consultations are free of charge and are offered in multiple languages. 

If you’re not located near a Family Source office or cannot meet in person, video consultations are available. We have offices located in Chicago and Joliet, Illinois and Miami, Florida. 

At the consultation, you and your partner will learn more about the steps and process of gestational surrogacy. If you decide to move forward, you will complete a file and sign a registration where the initial fee will be due. 

Review the Costs of Surrogacy

At FSC, we offer a new fixed-cost surrogacy program, which includes:

• mental health support
• criminal background investigation
• a matching process with unlimited rematching available
• management of the journey
• legal fees, escrow management
• medical accounting support
• local monitoring
• surrogate expenses
• surrogate base compensation
• bed rest
• travel expenses for all parties involved
• insurance

If you and your partner require an egg donor, it’s important to know that donors’ fees often vary from $8,000 to $10,000 based on their experience. Other costs for our egg donation program include:

• FSC professional fee
• Donor mental health evaluation 
• Egg donor attorney fee 
• Intended parent’s attorney fee of 
• Escrow management services 
• Donor insurance 
• Travel or incidentals based on the location of the donor

Look Into Ways to Finance

Although the cost of becoming parents is priceless, surrogacy comes with a price tag that can add up fast and leave you feeling uneasy. It’s important to know that there are ways to help finance the cost of the surrogacy program. If you and your partner currently own a home, consider looking into a low-interest home equity loan. Home equity loans provide borrowers with a large, lump sum payment that can be paid back in fixed installments over a predetermined period. Because you can use the money for just about anything, it’s a great option for funding surrogacy program costs. 

Crowdfunding on GoFundMe is another way to help raise money to pay for the program. You’ll start by asking a large group of people to donate an affordable amount over a small period. By using crowdfunding, it’ll be easier to reach people outside your network. 

Lastly, consider applying for a surrogacy grant. This is a fundraiser or scholarship run by a nonprofit organization. Unlike a loan, however, surrogacy grants do not need to be repaid. 

Don’t forget that simply setting money aside each month will help grow a surrogacy fund faster than you think. If covering the costs feels overwhelming at first, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Every surrogacy journey is unique, so the surrogacy financing tips above might not be for everyone. Finding a way that works best for you and your partner is important, so you can plan and know exactly what to expect with your gestational surrogacy process. 

Learn How the Matching Process Works

At FSC, it’s our goal to provide a healthy relationship with all parties involved. When choosing a team, it’s important to check to see how many successful matches they’ve made. Expertise is vital. 

Finding the right surrogate is the start of your surrogacy journey. You and your partner may have certain expectations for the process, and it’s our goal to make sure those are met. 

A few things to think about when choosing your surrogate are where they’re located, the qualities you’re looking for, and the level of communication you expect to have. Communication is key because you’ll likely be in close touch while waiting for the baby’s due date. If you’re not the best about being open, find ways to help improve your communication skills. This will make it easier to be candid with your surrogate and improve the chances that you will have a close relationship throughout your journey. 

Every surrogate at FSC has been pre-screened and has gone through extensive background checks to ensure the safety of all parties involved. The pre-screening process includes:

• An in-depth application process
• A personal interview with FSC
• Written consent from their medical provider
• Complete medical history
• Psychological evaluation
• An independent review of their health insurance

Along with the screening process, the surrogate also must meet all the requirements, such as height, weight, age, living situations, and more. 

During the matching process, it’s normal to feel anxious about whether you’ll find the right surrogate, but at FSC, nearly all of our matches are made at the first match meeting.

Building your family with a surrogate does not have to be emotionally draining. Finding the right team to help make the process easy for you and your partner is important. Knowing what to expect with the surrogacy process ahead of time before making a decision will allow you to feel more comfortable. 

If you’re interested in scheduling a free consultation appointment with the FSC team, call (800) 372-0529 or request a consultation online.