Yes, almost. On February 15, 2021, New York became the last large state to legalize compensated gestational surrogacy, which is great news for hopeful parents everywhere. That said, there are still a few states where compensated gestational surrogacy is either not yet legal or the path to a legally enforceable surrogacy agreement has some complexity. There can even be differences from one county to another in a given state. Our experienced in-house legal team will guide you, step by step, through the process to ensure your parentage is properly and fully established.

Intended parents want to work with an agency that is experienced in all aspects of gestational surrogacy and should look to ensure the three most critical components of a surrogacy engagement are an integral part of the program. Licensed clinical, psychological, financial and legal professionals should be on staff, exclusive to the program at all times, and play an active role in each surrogacy engagement to provide continuity of care. This level of full-service, comprehensive support is the best assurance you will be getting the attention and accountability necessary in an unregulated field where services or expertise are often one-dimensional. A full service, comprehensive agency like ConceiveAbilities can help meet your needs at every stage of the surrogate journey, from prescreening surrogate mothers to closing the escrow account, and everything in between.

Most surrogate mother applicants will first apply to the nation’s largest surrogate agencies. The level of screening and “filtering-out” ultimately results in many rejected candidates finding their way onto independent “matching” forums where they have learned to withhold information that caused their rejection from other programs. For intended parents, there are typically several agencies to choose from that are the right fit professionally and more personally when it comes to identifying a great surrogate. ConceiveAbilities cannot and does not recommend surrogates from any source other than a reputable agency. There is very little reason for a discerning, responsible and healthy gestational surrogate to work independently without the benefit and support granted by a full-service agency.

The surrogacy process takes between 15 to 18 months on average once you are matched, however, any individual journey could take more time, or less time. Working with a reputable surrogacy agency with experienced subject matter experts that are fully dedicated to your journey is the key to expediting the experience.