As surrogacy continues to grow in popularity, surrogacy agencies will continue to pop up and that’s when you should heed the buyer beware philosophy.
Just this week, the owner of the surrogacy agency in Modesto, CA was sentenced to federal prison for creating a financial firm where she used the funds from intended parents for personal use and left many families in turmoil.
Then there’s the story of a surrogate mother, Joy Sutkus, who successfully carried a baby to term but has a growing pile of medical bills because the surrogacy agency has not paid the bills. Their response is they’re working on it.
Low cost surrogacy agencies need to be thoroughly investigated. Do your due diligence and ask for referrals and most importantly, trust your gut. If something doesn’t quite feel right, it’s probably not. If the staff seems too occupied to respond to your questions or are not as friendly—search for another agency.
Here are a few things surrogate mothers and intended parents should look for in a reputable surrogate agency:
- A reliable surrogacy agency will be able to refer you to reputable professionals such as lawyers, psychologists and insurance firms and hold your hand throughout the surrogacy process.
- Payment terms and fees are explained and in writing so you have a clear financial picture of what surrogacy truly costs.
- Excellent surrogacy agencies have a lower staff to client ratio that guarantees that clients and surrogates get a personalized service.
At Shared Conception we welcome your questions, have lots of referrals and would love to help you grow your family. We like to think of ourselves as Texas’ best surrogacy agency!