Top Questions to Ask When Choosing a Surrogacy Agency

1. TOP QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN CHOOSING A SURROGACY AGENCY   Idaho Surrogacy Center

2. Table Of Contents What are the requirements? 01 What services are being provided? 01 What are the costs and compensations? 02 What kind of support do you have in place? 02 Why should I work with your agency? 03

3. www.idahosurrogacy.org What Are The Requirements? Both gestational carriers and intended parents must complete psychological evaluations to qualify.  The gestational carrier will have additional medical quali?cations such as BMI, age, and medical history requirements depending on the clinic being used.  The intended parents will need to meet certain ?nancial guidelines such as funding an escrow account to ensure their ability to fund the process.  For more information, feel free to email us at info@idahosurrogacy.org What Services Are Being Provided? Different agencies may provide different services depending on their capacity.  A good agency should be able to provide the following services at a minimum: Screening services Matching services Medical record requests Coordination of the various service providers such as lawyers, clinics, and mental health professionals Ongoing support services for gestational carriers It's always a good idea to ask how the agency protects both the parents and the surrogates throughout the process.  For example, our agency doesn't ask for a retainer fee until medical clearance is given by the clinic.  Most agencies require the retainer upfront before any screenings are performed.  This reduces the ?nancial risk to the parents.  For more information about what services we provide, please visit us on the Web at www.idahosurrogacy.org Whether you are considering being a surrogate or an intended parent, it's a good idea to get clari?cation on exactly what services the agency provides.  The more of a "one-stop-shop" the agency is, the more their fee may be, however. It may be worth asking if the agency provides services before and after the surrogacy process as well. Page # 1

4. www.idahosurrogacy.org What Are The Costs And Compensations? Ask the agency to go into detail about how ?nances are handled. This will likely help answer a lot of surrogacy interview questions you have. For intended parents: Have them explain exactly where your money is going. Even if they can’t give you an exact dollar amount (there are a lot of cost variables that can change in surrogacy) they should be able to outline everything in detail based on previous surrogacies so there are no surprises. For surrogates: Make sure an agency explains its compensation structure, including how and when you would be paid. The specialists should be able to outline the process for the reimbursement of surrogacy-related expenses, as well as talk to you about the escrow accounts work. What Kind Of Support Do You Have In Place? The more transparent and honest an agency is with you about ?nances, the better. Remember: They probably won’t be able to give you too many exact quotes, because there will be unknowns in the early stages of every surrogacy. A good agency will walk through the process and provide education as well as emotional and technical support to both the surrogate and the intended parents.  For surrogates, this usually happens in the form of regular phone calls and emails, as well as monthly or quarterly support group meetings with all the current surrogates participating.  It's not uncommon for a private Facebook group to be used for group communication as well.  This reminds the carriers that they are not alone, and allows them to share their struggles, tips, and successes with each other.  For parents, regular communication via phone and email is common. Some agencies will list most, if not all, of their fee structure on their website.  For example, ours can be seen at the following URL: www.idahosurrogacy.org/services-fees/ Page # 2

5. www.idahosurrogacy.org Why Should I Work With Your Agency? Ultimately, it comes down to whether or not you and the agency are a good fit for one another. After an agency has (or hasn’t) met all the standard criteria, you’ll need to factor in your own philosophies, needs and goals for the surrogacy process — and decide whether or not this agency fits in with that. The agency will likely need to make the same decision about you, because, like your relationship with a surrogate or intended parent, this is a very personal journey together. An agency should emphasize the aspects about its program that are the most meaningful to its team. Remember that you can always call with follow-up questions after your initial discussion, too.   If you’d like to speak with our agency and begin asking some of these questions, you can call us at (208) 546-9405 or email us at info@idahosurrogacy.org We look forward to hearing from you!   Page # 3

6. THANK YOU!