Surrogacy Agency Roseville

Made in the USA Surrogacy is proud to serve intended parents and surrogates in Roseville, California! Our primary goal is to make the surrogacy process as worry-free, seamless and as enjoyable as possible.

In the United States, more and more couples and individuals struggling with fertility turn to surrogacy as an option for realizing their dreams of becoming parents. Also, the demand for surrogates – especially in surrogacy-friendly states like California – is steadily rising. Before embarking on this richly rewarding, life-changing experience, it’s important that both intended parents and surrogates have as much information as possible about all aspects of the process. It is always best to use the professional services of an agency as the process can be quite complex.

Why Our Agency?

At Made in the USA Surrogacy, our team is committed to making the surrogacy journey as straightforward and stress-free as possible. We are dedicated to helping women who want to be the vessel for bringing these dreams to fruition enjoy a smooth pregnancy. Our services include:

• Thorough Pre-Screening Process for Surrogates and Intended Parents
• Matching intended parents with compatible surrogates who meet their needs, preferences and expectations
• Coordination of services between surrogacy attorneys, fertility clinics and other parties involved in the surrogacy process
• Providing emotional support to intended parents and surrogates
• Mediating communication and contact between intended parents and surrogates
• Case management of the entire surrogacy process
• Referring and connecting surrogates and intended parents with legal representation

Understanding Costs

While surrogacy is a life-changing and richly rewarding process, it is important to note that it is quite an investment. Typically, you can expect to spend between $80,000 and $150,000 on your surrogacy journey, in some cases, even more. In California, where there is a high demand for surrogates, you can expect to pay slightly more than other states.

The costs you should expect to cover as an intended parent include:

• Made in the USA Surrogacy agency fee
• Base compensation for surrogate
• Legal fees for both you and the surrogate
• Health insurance for the surrogate
• Surrogate benefits package (includes monthly expense allowance; compensation for lost wages, local travel expenses; maternity clothing allowance and housekeeping/childcare)
• Medical and psychological screening costs

Finding a Surrogate

At Made in the USA Surrogacy, we understand the importance of the relationship between intended parents and surrogate mothers. A successful surrogacy is dependent on the quality of this partnership. That is why we are committed to matching intended parents with the right surrogates.

How We Select Surrogates

Rest assured that all surrogate candidates who apply to our agency undergo a thorough screening to ensure that they are physically, mentally and emotionally capable of handling the surrogacy process. Before we accept any surrogate candidate, we review the medical history of each candidate to confirm that she has successfully completed a pregnancy to full term. Drug testing for illicit drug use is performed as well. We also conduct criminal and financial background checks on surrogates and their live-in spouses, if any. Additionally, we perform a home visit and inspection to ensure that all our surrogates live in a safe and healthy environment conducive to a successful pregnancy.

Common Laws

California is known as a surrogacy-friendly state due to its straightforward, surrogacy-friendly laws. Surrogacy in California is addressed in the California Family Code § 7960. Some common laws governing surrogacy in California include:

1. TRADITIONAL AND GESTATIONAL SURROGACY

There are two types of surrogacy – traditional surrogacy and gestational surrogacy. With traditional surrogacy, the surrogate’s egg is fertilized with the sperm of the father. While the surrogate is the biological mother, parental right is given to the intended parents. Gestational surrogacy involves in vitro fertilization whereby the sperm and eggs of intended parents are used to create an embryo that is then transferred to the surrogate (gestational carrier). In this case, the intended parents are the biological parents.

In California, both traditional and gestational surrogacy are legal. While there are clearly defined laws that regulate gestational surrogacy, that is not quite the case with traditional surrogacy. However, in California, traditional surrogacy is permitted as there are no laws in place that prohibit it.

2. SURROGATE COMPENSATION

Commercial surrogacy – surrogacy in which the surrogate is compensated – is legal in the state of California. Surrogates are compensated for the time and energy expended throughout the surrogacy process; lost wages; medical expenses; travel expenses and other expenses incurred during surrogacy.

On the other hand, altruistic surrogacy is also legal in California. With altruistic surrogacy, the intended parents cover all medical and surrogacy-related costs but do not compensate the surrogate beyond covering these surrogacy-related costs.

3. SEPARATE LEGAL REPRESENTATION

Surrogates and intended parents are required by California law to obtain separate licensed attorneys to represent and protect their interests. To ensure that each party’s rights are protected, intended parents and surrogates are not permitted to use the same attorney. It is important that surrogates and intended parents hire attorneys that have expertise on surrogacy laws.

4. SURROGACY AGREEMENTS

It is critical that both parties are legally protected throughout the surrogacy journey and that is why California requires that a surrogacy agreement is drawn up stipulating the rights and obligations of both parties. This ensures that both parties are on the same page before they begin the surrogacy process. Typically the contract should address surrogate compensation, the extent of communication between surrogates and intended parents, solutions to potential, unplanned issues that might pop up during the process such as multiple pregnancies; and any other pertinent items. This agreement must be executed prior to embryo transplantation.

Keep in mind that California requires that gestational surrogate agreements are notarized.

5. ESTABLISHING LEGAL PARENTAGE

In California, pre-birth parentage orders are permitted, allowing intended parents to establish parentage prior to the birth of the baby. This avoids the need to undergo adoption proceedings. The process of filing a pre-birth parentage order is straightforward and no hearing is required.

BECOMING A SURROGATE IN ROSEVILLE

If you meet our surrogate requirements listed here, you can begin the application process with our agency:

1. Complete Our Intake Form

We ask all surrogate candidates to fill out our intake form which you can find here.

2. Complete an Agency Application

To determine whether or not you are the right fit for our agency and to get to know you better, you will be asked to fill out a more extensive agency application. In addition to questions about your medical history, marital status, citizenship, and employment, our application gives you the opportunity to share your personal values and preferences, as well as the reasons you have decided to become a surrogate mother.

3. Obtain OB and Delivery Medical Records

Surrogates must obtain and present medical records of their previous successful, complication-free pregnancy/pregnancies. Past pregnancies must have been completed to full term.

4. Obtain a letter of clearance from OBGYN:

An OBGYN must attest that you are physically healthy to undergo the surrogacy process, and supports your decision to become a surrogate.

5. Pap Smear

We require your most recent pap smear results. Your most current pap smear must have been done within the last year.

6. Background Checks

A background check is performed on all surrogate candidates as well as adults over the age of 18 years old living in the same home as the surrogate.

7. Drug Test

Surrogates must also pass a drug test to make sure that they will in no way endanger the health of unborn baby during pregnancy by exposing the fetus to illicit drugs.

8. Health Insurance

Surrogates must provide a copy of their health insurance cards and evidence of coverage booklet to assess the policy for surrogacy coverage limitations.

9. Home Visit

We will schedule a home visit with you. A social worker will pay a visit to your home to determine whether the living conditions and family dynamic are suitable for surrogacy. We want to ensure that you are living in a safe and healthy environment conducive for a successful pregnancy.

10. Exclusive Agreement

If Made in the USA Surrogacy finds that you are a suitable candidate for surrogacy, you will sign an exclusive agreement with our agency. In this agreement, the roles and obligations of the agency as well as that of the surrogate will be laid out.

QUALIFICATIONS

Below are the minimum requirements you must meet before you can apply to be a  surrogate at Made in the USA Surrogacy:

• You must be between the ages of 23 and 38 years old. Between these ages, a woman is in her prime years of childbearing, and the toll that pregnancy takes on the body is less harsh.
• You must be a citizen, permanent resident, legal resident or legal immigrant of the United States. For legal immigrants and legal residents, you must provide documentation that is valid for at least two years.
• You must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) 30 or below.
• You must have had at least one pregnancy completed to full term without complications.
• You must have had no more than one c-section.
• All surrogates must live in a surrogacy-friendly state. Unfortunately, we do not accept surrogates living in New York, Louisiana, Nebraska, and Michigan.
• You should have no history of clinical mental illness and should not be currently taking any medications related to anxiety or depression as these types of medications could potentially pose a risk to the pregnancy and postpartum recovery.
• You must be a non-smoker and not exposed to second-hand smoke (this includes vaping and medical marijuana).
• You should have no prior felonies, and you must pass our state and federal background checks.
• You should be financially secure and financially independent of government aid including public housing, welfare, and cash assistance.
• You must have a responsible, clean, stable and healthy lifestyle that is conducive for a successful pregnancy.
• If you live with a partner, your partner should be able to provide a strong support system as you navigate the surrogacy process.
• You must be able to travel for medical and other surrogacy appointments.

SURROGATE COMPENSATION ROSEVILLE

So what can a surrogate in Roseville expect in terms of compensation for her services? Surrogate compensation includes a base compensation in addition to compensation for medical and surrogacy-related expenses incurred during surrogacy.

Breakdown of Surrogate Compensation

• Base Compensation

With commercial surrogacy, a surrogate receives a base compensation for her time and efforts. The amount of base compensation a surrogate receives depends on a range of factors; for example whether or not the surrogate is a first-time surrogate or one who is experienced and has undergone the surrogacy experience before. At Made in the USA Surrogacy, we offer a competitive compensation package – first-time surrogates can expect a base compensation of $40,000 while experience surrogates receive $45,000.

Other factors that may influence a surrogate’s base compensation include single versus multiple pregnancies.

• Medical and Psychological Screening Expenses

Before an embryo transfer, surrogates are thoroughly screened to determine whether or not they are viable candidates for surrogacy. Surrogacy can be quite demanding – physically, mentally and emotionally – and that is why it is important that surrogate candidates are physically, mentally and emotionally healthy and ready to undergo the process. Intended parents must compensate surrogates for such screenings.

• Monthly Expense Allowance

Surrogates are given a monthly allowance for miscellaneous expenses to ensure that the surrogacy process is as comfortable and smooth as possible for them. These surrogacy-related expenses include prenatal vitamins and non-prescription medications; childcare during medical appointments; pregnancy tests; phone calls and gas for driving to medical and surrogacy-related appointments.

• Maternity Clothing Allowance

Surrogates are also compensated for maternity clothes a few months into the pregnancy as their bellies become bigger. This compensation is usually given beginning at the start of the second trimester. For multiple pregnancies, the maternity clothing allowance is higher than that for a single pregnancy.

• Compensation for Lost Wages

For working surrogates who have to take time off work during the surrogacy process, compensation for lost wages is given.

• Compensation for Invasive Procedures

Surrogates are compensated for the discomfort associated with invasive procedures such as Cerclage; D&C (Dilation and Curettage); Amniocentesis (a prenatal test for diagnosing fetal infections, chromosomal abnormalities, and sex determination); Fetal Reduction; Hysterosalpingogram (HSG) and Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS).

• Embryo Transfer

Surrogates are compensated for the embryo transfer procedure and lost wages as a result of the days taken off to recuperate after the procedure is done. This payment is made after the embryo transfer.

• Cesarean Section

If a doctor orders a cesarean section, the surrogate is given additional compensation. This compensation is usually given to cover the expenses incurred after the procedure as the surrogate recovers.

Contact Made in the USA Surrogacy for more information about surrogate compensation in Roseville!