If you are considering surrogacy to grow your family, you have several options. You can opt to take an independent surrogacy journey. Or, you can choose to make the surrogacy journey through an agency, incurring an agency fee.
Circle Surrogacy often urges intended parents who are just beginning to research. This research helps them find the best surrogacy agencies to suit their specific needs. It will also help them discover what they hope to gain from their travels.
What do surrogacy agencies do?
Parents who choose to work with a surrogacy agency to be a parent do so because they want the security and confidence of knowing that experienced professionals are handling their journey for them. Surrogacy can be a complex process with many moving pieces, including coordination of the fertility clinic, legal contracts and finding a surrogate.
Some intended parents choose to do independent surrogacy because they are familiar with the surrogacy process (perhaps they have experienced it before) – or they know someone who is willing to be a surrogate for them – and the costs may be lower.
Why work with a surrogacy agency?
Although it may cost a little more, intended parents may choose to work with a surrogacy agency for several reasons:
- An agency has the experience and knowledge of the surrogacy process to manage all aspects of the journey and all coordination.
- Managing a surrogacy journey can be time-consuming, and many intended parents are unable to devote the time necessary to manage the process and coordinate travel, appointments and schedules during normal business hours.
- Be confident that your trip will be managed by experts, when things go well, as well as if you hit a bump in the road.
- This allows them to focus less on managing the details and more on preparing for the arrival of their baby(s).
What is the ‘agency fee’ for a surrogacy agency?
Choosing to work with a surrogacy agency also means that part of your surrogacy costs will be an “agency fee.” This agency fee varies by agency, as well as what is included.
When you compare agency costs, it is important to know exactly what is covered in agency fees. Some agencies – like Circle Surrogacy – have agency fees that include many surrogacy fees, to help eliminate surprise costs down the road. This makes it easier for intended parents to plan financially to cover surrogacy costs. Simply comparing agency fee numbers between agencies can be misleading; be sure to check exactly what is included.
Below, we break down our agency fee and explain what it covers and why. This helps the intended parents to fully understand the surrogacy process.
What is included in the agency fee?
The Full Coordination of Your Travel
There are many moving parts to a surrogacy journey, including egg donor and surrogate schedules and travel, paperwork at clinics and hospitals, and more. Your travel coordination includes:
- A dedicated teamconsisting of a senior program manager, a program coordinator, a lawyer, and an accountant who will manage your entire trip.
- This team knows your history and your journey and is there to answer any of your questions along the way.
- Help choosing an IVF clinic.
- The Circle established relationships with the country leading fertility clinics, and in case you need to choose an IVF clinic, Circle can help you find the clinic that works best for you.
- IVF schedule management.
- Help with egg donor and surrogate travel and local appointments in tracking your surrogate.
Screening and Matching for Surrogates and Egg Donors
These costs cover the screening of, and matching with, your surrogate (and your egg donor, if necessary). It also covers the same expenses if you need to REMATCHED – you will not pay these costs twice:
- Surrogate match with a gestational carrier who meets the intended parents’ requirements, as well as the intended parents’ legal requirements
- In-depth analysis of surrogate social work
- In-depth analysis of surrogate partner social work
- In-depth social work evaluation of your chosen egg donor (if required)
- Criminal and background checks of the surrogate and her partner, as well as for your egg donor
Surrogacy Journey Support
Surrogacy is an emotional journey, and it’s important to have support outside of family and friends – for you and your surrogate. The agency fee covers:
- Alternate support program
- Monthly calls to the social worker (or more)
- Intended parents support program
- At least monthly calls to the social worker
Surrogacy Trust Account Management
You invest financially in surrogacy. It is important to ensure that your money is kept safe and that your payments are made in a timely manner.
Your Trust Account Management is part of your Circle agency fees.
In the US, when you start a surrogacy journey with most agencies, your money is safe. Circle is a stable and safe company. The money you send to the agency is protected, held in a Bonded Escrow Account. These types of accounts are maintained only with regulated and approved financial institutions.
Your dedicated Trust Accountant will oversee the payment of expenses (to the surrogate, donor, etc.), including any payments that need to be made on weekends or after hours, when most third-party establishments are closed. Intended parents can rest easy knowing their money is safe, and payments are made in a timely manner.
Surrogacy Legal Work
There are many legal aspects to surrogacy, and it is important to work with attorneys experienced in reproductive law. Legal agency fee costs cover:
- Representative for drafting and negotiating your Replacement Agreement
- Assistance in legal proceedings to establish the Rights of the Intended Parents
- Assistance in establishing US citizenship, obtaining the baby’s passport and repatriation (for international Intended Parents)
- Drafting parental wills, health care proxies and powers of attorney for US intended parents
Insurance
Your surrogate must be insured, either through his own insurance or a policy intended to be purchased by the parents for him.
- Circle attorneys will review a surrogate’s insurance policy
- We will help obtain complications, life and medical insurance for your surrogate
- Handling all medical bills
- Insurance management and defense
As you can see, your agency fee covers the administration and management of many parts of your surrogacy journey. Many intended parents want the security of knowing that experts are overseeing their journey so they can focus on preparing for their baby’s arrival.
If you want to learn more about surrogacy programs and costsor schedule a time to speak with one of our Parent Intake Coordinators, please fill out this form or call +1 617-439-9900.
