First-time intended parents often choose to work with a surrogacy agency when they decide to pursue this family-building process. After all, a surrogacy agency like American Surrogacy can provide all of the services they need to safely and efficiently add a child to their family, allowing intended parents to focus on creating a bond with their surrogate and preparing for the arrival of their little bundle of joy.

But, with so many surrogacy agencies out there, how do you decide which one is best for you?

Different surrogacy agencies have different focuses, and not all surrogacy agencies will work for every intended parent’s surrogacy goals and preferences. That’s okay — what’s important is finding the one that works best for you. If you are trying to decide which surrogacy agency is right for you, we encourage you to start by listing your personal goals and preferences. This list will inform the rest of your decision.

When you have identified a few surrogacy agencies you are interested in, you should always take the time to speak with their professionals and ask any questions you may have. Choosing a surrogacy agency is a commitment that will guide the rest of your surrogacy experience, and it should only be done when you are 100 percent confident that a given professional is right for you.

Here, we’ve gathered some of the important questions you should consider asking a surrogacy agency if you are an intended parent:

About the Agency

1. What is your agency’s history?
2. How many successful surrogacies have you completed?
3. What do you define as a “successful” surrogacy?
4. How are your staff members trained or certified?
5. How many staff members do you have?
6. How many intended parents are you currently working with?
7. What kind of support do you offer intended parents and surrogates?
8. Is your support available outside business hours?

About Their Services

9. What services do you offer intended parents and prospective surrogates?
10. What is your screening process for intended parents and prospective surrogates?
11. What are your requirements for intended parents to work with your agency?
12. What are your agency costs for surrogacy?
13. How are payments broken down throughout our surrogacy process?
14. Do you provide escrow services for our surrogate’s compensation and medical expenses?
15. How long will your services be available to us after our surrogacy is complete?

About Finding a Surrogate

16. How many surrogates do you have waiting to be matched?
17. How do you match intended parents and prospective surrogates?
18. How many experienced surrogates and/or repeat surrogates work with your agency?
19. What if we have already identified a surrogate to use in our surrogacy?
20. How do you identify and advertise for prospective surrogates?
21. Will you help us create an intended parent profile?
22. What characteristics can we choose when selecting a surrogate?
23. How long does it typically take for intended parents to find their surrogate with your agency?

About Contact Mediation

24. How will you prepare us for our initial conversation with the surrogate?
25. Will this conversation take place in person or over the phone?
26. Once we have found a surrogate, will you provide contact mediation during our surrogacy?
27. If so, what kind?
28. How will you resolve difficult situations between us and our surrogate, should they arise?

About Other Professionals

29. What kind of legal assistance do you provide?
30. What other surrogacy professionals will we need to hire separately if we work with your agency?
31. Will you provide references to trusted professionals for this decision?
32. Or will we be required to work with a professional of your choosing?

About The Hospital Stay

33. How will you help us prepare for our hospital stay?
34. Which professionals will be present when our child is born?
35. How will you help us obtain appropriate insurance for our surrogate?
36. What are your policies on doulas or nontraditional births with our surrogate?

Other Important Questions

37. What will be my responsibilities during the surrogacy process?
38. Why exactly should we work with your surrogacy agency?
39. Do you think we are a good fit for your surrogacy program?
40. How do we begin the application process for your agency?

When you contact our surrogacy specialists at American Surrogacy, we can answer all of these questions and more to help you determine whether our agency is a good fit for you. To learn more today, please call 1-800-875-2229(BABY).