Family Choice will provide guidance and facilitate every step of your journey, including:

Matching

Your surrogacy journey begins with the matching process, where FCS expertly pairs you with a qualified surrogate who meets our criteria as well as that of the Intended Parents. Surrogates working with FCS are already medically cleared and have completed a psychological evaluation. We take the utmost care and effort in presenting surrogate profiles to Intended Parents during this important phase. If the Intended Parents and the Surrogate believe they are a good fit, they will then meet (in person, by phone, or via Skype) to determine whether they would like to begin their journey together.

Medical Screening

Once matched, the surrogate will travel to the Intended Parents’ fertility clinic for medical screening. The clinic will perform an ultrasound, take bloodwork, and perform a physical. This is to ensure the surrogate is healthy and her body is ready and able to become pregnant. The clinic will also require labs from the surrogate’s partner or spouse.

Escrow

Once the match becomes official, FCS will facilitate the opening of an escrow account and the funding of said account. FCS will refer the Intended Parents to a third-party escrow provider that specializes in these matters. An escrow account will protect all parties to ensure Intended Parents have peace of mind that their funds are being held safely and disbursed according to their legal agreement. In turn, the Surrogate knows that the funds are in place and that she will be paid on time.

Legal Contract

Upon funding of the escrow account, the parties begin the legal contract phase with an attorney specializing in reproductive law. The contract governs all aspects of the surrogacy journey and covers a multitude of topics, from the number of embryo transfers, to payments and reimbursements, to confidentiality (and much more). FCS will assist with attorney referrals and facilitate this process for Intended Parents and the Surrogate.

Embryo Transfer

After the contract has been signed by both parties, the Surrogate moves forward with medical preparation for the embryo transfer. This typically involves medications to regulate her cycle, a mock transfer cycle, and the embryo(s) transfer. Family Choice will be there every step of the way and will be happy to answer questions, accompany the Surrogate and/or Intended Parents to appointments, and provide general guidance to the parties.

Establishment of Parentage

If the transfer is successful and the parties achieve pregnancy, it is important for the Intended Parents to properly establish their legal parentage in the state where the child will be born. This process typically begins around 16-18 weeks of pregnancy. FCS will gladly refer you to an attorney specializing in reproductive law in the state of the child’s birth and provide support along the way.