Your journey begins with a consultation where we learn about your surrogacy goals. Whether you’re considering a full-service program where we match you with a surrogate, or one of our independent journey programs where you’ve already found your own surrogate, we will guide you through the options. If you’re unsure about which program is right for you, we’ll explore all the possibilities, so you can take your time to decide.

+ Request Info + FREE Consult 

For those in our full-service programs, we handle the extensive work of finding the perfect surrogate for your growing family. Every potential surrogate undergoes a rigorous pre-screening process, including an in-depth interview, medical clearance from her OB-GYN, and a comprehensive review of her medical records. We also assess the surrogate’s insurance policies to determine how surrogate-friendly they are and evaluate her state of residence for basic legality to ensure the surrogacy process can proceed smoothly.

Once a surrogate passes this pre-screening, we match her profile with your preferences and requirements. If we believe she’s a good fit, we’ll present her profile to you for your review.

While this “pre-matching” process is exclusive to our full-service programs, independent journey programs offer essential screening and clearance steps to help evaluate the suitability of the surrogate you’ve already found.

• Silver, Gold, and Platinum Independent Programs: These programs include obtaining your surrogate’s medical records, coordinating OB-GYN clearance, and a thorough review of the surrogate’s medical history to confirm her readiness for the journey.
• Bronze Independent Program: While this program does not include medical record collection or review services, it covers essential background checks and a home study, just like other independent journeys and full-service programs.

In independent journeys, these screening services help ensure your chosen surrogate is medically qualified, though they do not involve the matching process. Instead, we help evaluate the suitability of the surrogate you’ve already identified, focusing on critical health, legal, and background considerations.

For intended parents in our full-service programs, the matching process is a key step toward building the foundation of your surrogacy journey. The process begins by sharing the surrogate’s profile with you, and your profile with the surrogate. If both parties agree there is potential and would like to move forward, the surrogate’s medical records are sent to your fertility clinic for review. Because we pre-screen our surrogates and carefully review their medical records ourselves, it is exceedingly rare for a surrogate to be denied by the clinic.

Once we receive initial approval from your clinic, we schedule a match meeting. This meeting is facilitated by one of our Journey Coordinators and is designed to introduce you and the surrogate, ensuring that everyone shares the same values and expectations. The match meeting helps build the foundation for a potentially life-changing relationship. After the meeting, both you and the surrogate are independently asked if you would like to proceed with the match.

Depending on your location relative to the surrogate, the match meeting can take place in person, via video conference, or by phone. Most often, these meetings are done via video call to ensure everyone is comfortable and connected.

This step is exclusive to our full-service programs and is not applicable to independent journeys, where you have already found your surrogate.

The fertility clinic’s medical screening is a critical step in ensuring that your surrogate is physically ready for pregnancy. This screening is more in-depth than the initial medical record review by Surrogate Steps during the pre-match phase and the fertility clinic’s review during the match phase for full-service programs.

The coordination of this process varies depending on the program you select.

In our full-service programs, we help coordinate every aspect of the medical screening process, which typically includes the following evaluations at your fertility clinic:

• Uterine Evaluation: To assess the health and readiness of the uterus for implantation.
• Blood Tests: To check for any underlying health conditions or risks that may affect the pregnancy.
• Infectious Disease Screening: Ensures the surrogate meets all health and safety standards for the surrogacy process.

We assist in coordinating logistics, such as test scheduling and travel arrangements, as necessary. While we work closely with your fertility clinic, the clinic itself will handle the medical procedures and related tasks. Our role is to ensure smooth communication and coordination to prevent unnecessary delays.

For intended parents in Platinum and Gold Independent Programs, we provide similar coordination with the fertility clinic. Our support includes:

• Fertility Clinic Medical Records Review: We help coordinate the review of the surrogate’s medical history to ensure she is suitable for the next steps.
• Coordination for Medical Testing: We coordinate all logistics related to the surrogate’s clearance testing, including travel arrangements and appointments for uterine health evaluations, blood tests, and infectious disease screenings.

In the Silver Independent Program, we provide coordination specifically for the Fertility Clinic Medical Records Review. This ensures that the clinic reviews your surrogate’s medical history, but the intended parents will need to handle the final testing and medical clearance directly with the clinic.

In the Bronze Independent Program, there is no coordination for medical screening. Intended parents are responsible for managing the entire process, from the initial medical records review to the final clearance testing, directly with the fertility clinic.

Once the surrogate passes the medical examination, the final step for full-service programs is a thorough three-pronged psycho-social evaluation. This evaluation ensures that every aspect of the surrogate’s life is suitable for carrying your pregnancy. It includes a psychological evaluation, a home study, and criminal background checks.

Psychological Evaluation

This evaluation, conducted by a licensed social worker, assesses the surrogate’s emotional and mental preparedness to handle the surrogacy journey. It ensures she has the necessary support to manage the emotional challenges that may arise. Sometimes this evaluation takes place at the fertility clinic during the surrogate’s medical exam, and in other cases, it is coordinated separately by our agency after the medical screening.

Home Study

The home study involves a licensed social worker visiting the surrogate’s home to assess whether it provides a safe and supportive environment for a healthy pregnancy. The social worker ensures that the living conditions meet the required safety and stability standards for the surrogacy process.

Criminal Background Check

A criminal background check is conducted on the surrogate, her partner, and any adult living in the household. Consent forms are signed to allow us to check for any potential legal concerns. While our surrogates are rigorously pre-screened, this step provides an additional layer of security to ensure a safe environment for your baby.

In Platinum and Gold Independent Programs, the surrogate undergoes all three aspects of the psycho-social evaluation: psychological evaluation, home study, and criminal background check. However, in Silver and Bronze Independent Programs, only the home study and criminal background check are included, and the psychological evaluation must be managed by the intended parents if desired.

While this is the final screening step for full-service programs, it may come earlier in the process for independent journeys, depending on the specific timeline and needs of the intended parents.

This comprehensive evaluation confirms that the surrogate is mentally, emotionally, and physically ready to carry your child, providing peace of mind as you continue your surrogacy journey.

A fundamental part of any surrogacy arrangement is the Gestational Carrier Agreement (GCA) and the establishment of an escrow account to manage the surrogate’s compensation and related expenses. This step provides the legal and financial foundation for your surrogacy journey, ensuring that both the surrogate and intended parents are well-protected and that payments are managed transparently throughout the process.

At Surrogate Steps, we guide you through these critical components in our full-service programs and higher-tier independent journeys, ensuring clarity and protection for both parties.

One of the key advantages of working with Surrogate Steps is that our director is an attorney specializing in reproductive law. Before you are presented with a surrogate profile, we conduct a legal evaluation to ensure that the surrogate resides in a state with favorable surrogacy laws that align with your family’s needs. When it comes time to finalize the legal agreements, our director will draft the Gestational Carrier Agreement (GCA) and assist you in securing legal representation for both you and the surrogate. Both parties will have independent legal counsel to review and approve the agreement.

Before the embryo transfer, we also assist in establishing an escrow account. This account will be used to manage all payments to the surrogate, ensuring her compensation and expenses are handled smoothly and transparently throughout the journey.

For Platinum and Gold Independent Programs, we offer full coordination of both the Gestational Carrier Agreement and escrow account setup, ensuring that these critical legal and financial aspects are properly managed, just as they are in our full-service programs.

In Silver and Bronze Independent Programs, intended parents are responsible for managing all legal aspects of the Gestational Carrier Agreement and independently setting up the escrow account.

Once the legal, financial, and medical preparations are in place, the next step is for the surrogate to begin the embryo transfer process. The surrogate will start taking the necessary medications to prepare her body for the transfer, attend monitoring appointments, and then proceed to the embryo transfer itself.

If the fertility clinic is not located near the surrogate’s residence (which is common), the surrogate may need to travel for the transfer, often accompanied by a companion. In such cases, the surrogate may need to rest in a hotel for 24-48 hours post-transfer before returning home. For full-service programs and the Platinum Independent Program, we handle all the travel logistics, including flights, car rentals, and hotel accommodations. These expenses, along with any reimbursement to the surrogate, are covered through the escrow account according to the surrogate’s compensation package.

Approximately 10 days after the embryo transfer, the surrogate will undergo blood tests to confirm pregnancy. If the pregnancy is confirmed, around four weeks later, the first ultrasound will be scheduled to check for the baby’s heartbeat and ensure the pregnancy progresses as expected.

In Gold, Silver, and Bronze Independent Programs, intended parents are responsible for managing the embryo transfer and pregnancy test logistics on their own.

Throughout your surrogate’s pregnancy, maintaining regular contact is key to staying connected and informed. Most of our intended parents communicate with their surrogates via FaceTime one to a few times per week. This allows you to stay updated on the progress of the pregnancy and build a relationship with your surrogate.

We will ensure that the surrogate is properly reimbursed and compensated in accordance with the Compensation Package and the Gestational Carrier Agreement (GCA). Reimbursements that are not in fixed amounts, such as pharmacy or medical bills, will require the surrogate to notify both Surrogate Steps and the escrow agency. Your approval will be needed to process these payments, ensuring transparency and clarity.

Legal Parentage

Once the surrogate enters the second trimester of pregnancy, it’s time to begin securing your legal parentage rights. This step ensures that you are legally recognized as the parents of your child and that you can make all medical and legal decisions on their behalf from birth. Your attorney will help you initiate the process of securing a parentage order.

• Around 17-18 weeks of pregnancy: We work with you, the surrogate, and the hospital to ensure that everyone has certified copies of the parentage order, which will be required for the birth.
• Around 26-30 weeks of pregnancy: We begin discussing the birth plan with the hospital’s social worker to prepare for the delivery. This includes ensuring your access to the delivery room (if applicable), the baby post-delivery, and securing your own room at the hospital (if possible).
• Around 26-34 weeks of pregnancy: We confirm your travel plans for the birth, ensuring everything is in place so you can be there to welcome your baby into the world.

Program Support

• Full-Service Programs and Platinum Independent Program: Include full assistance with pregnancy management, ensuring regular contact with the surrogate, reimbursement management, and legal coordination for securing parentage.
• Gold, Silver, and Bronze Independent Programs: Do not include support for managing pregnancy or securing parentage. Intended parents in these programs will need to handle legal and logistical arrangements independently.

Managing the pregnancy and establishing legal parentage is a crucial part of your surrogacy journey. With our full-service and Platinum Independent Programs, you receive comprehensive support to ensure everything proceeds smoothly. If you’re in a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Independent Program, it’s important to plan for independent management of these steps.

The moment you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived—the birth of your baby!

For intended parents in full-service programs and the Platinum Independent Program, Surrogate Steps coordinates directly with the hospital to ensure all arrangements are in place for the delivery. We work with the hospital to secure a separate room where you can bond with your baby after birth. We also help ensure that your birth plan is followed, including access to the delivery room (if applicable) and post-delivery access to your baby.

Once your baby is ready to be discharged from the hospital, you’ll take your child home to begin your new life as a family.

Please note that Gold, Silver, and Bronze Independent Programs do not include coordination for the delivery hospital or the birth plan. Intended parents in these programs will need to manage these details independently.