Tips for Choosing the Right Surrogacy Agency for YOU!
Choosing the right surrogacy agency to work with is almost as important as choosing the actual Intended Parents! The goals you have for yourself and your family should match up with what the agency offers in the way of support and guidance. With so many surrogacy agencies looking for qualified candidates these 5 tips for making that all important choice should be helpful to you.
Tip one: How large of an agency do you want to work with?
Some larger agencies can feel like you are just part of a process where everyone is a number and you are on a conveyer belt just being moved along from one person to the next. Smaller agencies might claim to offer a more personalized experience but don’t have the bandwidth to connect you with the professionals needed to complete a match within your expected time frame. It’s important to find out and interview your chosen agencies to see if they match your personal expectations and discover if they are capable of giving you the attention needed to support you as you progress through a surrogacy journey. This includes after you are pregnant and beyond.
Tip two: Don’t get bogged down with all of the “extras” offered by some agencies.
You may see advertisements that offer spa packages, huge compensation/reimbursement amounts or promises that seem too good to be true. What you really need is a reliable program that will guide you through the surrogacy process and be honest and truthful regarding the matching time frame. Look for an agency with employees who have intimate knowledge of the surrogacy process and who are up front about the time and commitment it takes to become a surrogate. Honesty is key to a great working relationship!
Tip three: Answer the question-is location important to you?
Especially in this day and age with Covid forcing more people to work from home, cancel in person meetings and replace them with Zoom calls or limit other in person activities like support group lunches/dinners you have to ask yourself if you really need to “go local” or would it be better to just choose the agency that offers the best support you can find? If you want local Intended Parents then a local agency may have the advantage. If you don’t really care where the IPs live then any qualified agency could fit the bill.
Tip four: Making sure that the agency works with reliable professionals within the reproductive field.
Besides agency personal you will be working with psychologist’s, attorney’s, escrow agencies, insurance agencies and medical professionals. You need to make sure that the surrogacy agency you choose can assist you in connecting all of these professionals who will make this entire process easier for you. The case manager should be able to assist you with finding the best possible people to support you each step along the way to a successful surrogacy journey.
Tip five: Ask ALL your questions!
Write down your list of questions regarding the surrogacy process. Don’t leave anything out. Make a clear list of your expectations as well as what might sway you from following through with your surrogacy plan. Do you have a certain time frame in mind? An amount of compensation you expect? Types of Intended Parents you will or will not consider working with? Remember to also be open minded as the answers and information you get might be much different then you expected. It’s a plus if you receive answers to questions you didn’t even know you had!
A surrogacy journey may seem to be a simple and strait forward procedure but there is a lot more involved that meets the eye. Research is key and finding that perfect agency match is a must!