Questions Intended Parents Should Ask a Surrogacy Agency
Find the right agency for your path to parenthood
Choosing a surrogacy agency can feel overwhelming. Asking about fees, matching, screening, and ongoing support can help you compare your options and find the right fit. Below, we share questions intended parents can ask any agency, along with Heartland Surrogacy’s answers.
What Experience and Personal Support Does the Agency Offer?
What makes Heartland Surrogacy different?
Our compassionate and experienced team provides the customized service you need in your journey. Your case manager will get to know you and your surrogate well and will focus on your priorities.
Your surrogacy services begin at onboarding and continue through the closing of your escrow account at the end of the journey. Along the way, we not only provide logistical support, we are also available for the personal care needed on this path to parenthood.
What is your staff size?
We are a team of four. We each hold expertise in specific areas of surrogacy and work together to provide comprehensive case management. Furthermore, we each have personal experience with surrogacy and/or parenting, as well as a close connection to the geographical regions in which we each provide services.
How many years have you been in business?
Heartland Surrogacy has been in business since 2013.
Who will be my main contact, and how often will I receive updates?
You will have one main contact at every step your journey. When you first apply and undergo the onboarding process, we will walk you through the details of surrogacy, get to know your circumstances and goals for the journey, and update you on potential matches at least once a month.
Once matched, you will be assigned to the case manager that will guide you through the rest of the journey. There are many steps immediately after matching, so your case manager will be in contact with you and your surrogate at least weekly while medical screening is arranged and completed.
During the contract stage, we will be in touch periodically as we receive updates from attorneys and your surrogate. Necessary tasks will increase once an embryo transfer date is chosen, and your case manager will be in touch to complete logistical details and to provide ongoing support.
In a healthy pregnancy, we will connect with you at major milestones. Should any questions or complications arise, we will guide you through next steps and find any resources you may need.
As the delivery date approaches, you will be hearing more from us. We will connect with you about parentage paperwork, birth planning with your surrogate, and estimating escrow funding for the delivery and postpartum periods.
What Are the Agency Fees and Payment Terms?
What are your agency fees and when are they due?
Our agency fees are spread across milestones in the journey, beginning with a retainer.
What happens if I pay a retainer and you are unable to find a surrogate match?
Because we immediately provide education, screening, and match recruitment, our agency retainer is nonrefundable.
However, if during your onboarding process we determine that we would be unable to match you, we would not move forward with services or fees. It is rare for our agency to be unable to find a match for onboarded intended parents. Should this happen, we take a case-by-case approach and will work with you to create a suitable outcome for everyone.
Which Surrogacy Services Are Included?
What services do you provide?
We provide journey management from beginning to end. Our onboarding process includes background checks, interviews, and getting to know our intended parents and surrogates. We follow a thorough matching process and then oversee the logistics of the medical screening, contracts, pregnancy, and post-delivery phases.
To avoid potential conflicts of interest, Heartland does not have in-house legal counsel and does not hold escrow. We have strong connections with experienced providers in the surrogacy field and will help connect you with the providers you need.
What services will I need to obtain separately?
You will need a fertility clinic, separate legal representation for you and your surrogate, escrow services for fund management, and an insurance broker specializing in surrogacy policies. We can help you find experienced providers in these fields.
Do you work with intended parents like me?
Heartland supports intended parents across the US who have a documented medical need for surrogacy. We celebrate the diversity of our clients, whose backgrounds vary in race, ethnicity, religion, family structure, and LGBTQ+ status.
How Are Surrogates Recruited and Screened?
How do you find your surrogates?
Most of our surrogates find us when searching for an agency local to the Midwest. Many of our surrogates have completed a journey with us in the past and look forward to receiving the same kind of support for a repeat journey. Surrogates are also referred to us by previous Heartland clients, medical providers, and surrogacy attorneys.
What kind of screening will my surrogate complete before matching?
Our surrogates undergo a thorough screening process before being accepted into our program. We conduct interviews and a home visit, and educate our candidates on what to expect during a journey. We use third-party providers to run medical record reviews, background checks (including their partner and any other adults living in the home, if applicable), a medical insurance review, and psychological testing.
After matching, your surrogate will undergo medical screening required by your fertility clinic. This may include additional psychological assessments. Our agency also requires a joint psychological consultation between you, your surrogate, and their partner (if applicable).
How Does Surrogate Matching Work?
What is the waiting time to be matched with a surrogate?
Your waiting time for a match will depend on your goals and requirements in your journey, your fertility clinic’s requirements, and our current surrogate pool. We are lucky to have a regular influx of surrogate applicants and returning surrogates, so our intended parents are typically matched within 9 months of completing our onboarding process.
What is your matching process?
Matching through Heartland Surrogacy is a mutual decision made by intended parents and surrogates. We present your profile to a surrogate candidate that we feel would be a good match for you. If they agree and would like to meet you, we then share their profile with you. The profile includes information about their journey preferences, lifestyle, health, pregnancy history, and compensation.
If you also feel the candidate could be a good fit, we arrange a match meeting. A member of our team will help guide the conversation through the most important matching points. Everyone will also have the opportunity to ask follow-up questions and speak openly. If all parties agree to the match after the meeting, then we move forward with medical screening.
How do you assess compatibility between intended parents and surrogates?
Through our in-depth onboarding process, we gather preferences, requirements, and goals for the journey from our intended parents and surrogates. To assess the compatibility between intended parents and surrogates, we start with basic requirements: shared expectations about pregnancy termination and selective reduction, compensation, and location. From there, we look at the personalities of each party, paying attention to communication styles, desired support throughout the journey, and goals for connection after the journey.
At Heartland Surrogacy, we respect your personal preferences for the journey and are focused on finding you a match based on mutual agreement.
What happens if a match does not move forward or an embryo transfer is unsuccessful?
Depending on the reason for the match ending, your case manager may help you reassess your preferences and goals for the journey so that we can find the best match for you. Rematching fees are determined on a case-by-case basis; the conditions and amounts will be outlined in your contract with our agency.
If an embryo transfer is unsuccessful, the next steps will depend on your clinician’s advice, your embryo status, and any pertinent details in your Gestational Carrier Agreement. Your case manager will gather information with you and support you in whatever route you take.
How Are Insurance, Compensation, and Journey Funds Handled?
How is a surrogate’s insurance reviewed, and what happens if coverage is unavailable?
We have surrogate insurance policies professionally reviewed during the onboarding process. If your surrogate does not have coverage for a surrogate pregnancy, we will connect you with an insurance broker that specializes in this field.
Unfortunately, many insurance policies exclude coverage for a surrogate pregnancy. Even if your surrogate has coverage with their policy at matching, this could change during your journey. We advise all intended parents to prepare for the cost of a private maternity plan.
How does your program handle expenses for the surrogate?
All funds for your journey are held in escrow by an independent third party of your choosing. Our team will provide you with information about providers specializing in third party reproduction agreements.
How is surrogate compensation determined?
We provide our surrogates with a list of typical base and variable compensation amounts. They then determine what they believe to be fair amounts for their journey. The surrogate’s fees will be included in their profile for your review.
Can You Speak With Previous Intended Parents?
Absolutely! We would love to connect you with Heartland Surrogacy parents.
“Heartland helped us navigate what seemed at first like a very intimidating process with ease and so much support…they checked in regularly to reassure us that things were on track, and/or to remind us of next steps and how to complete them.”
– Heartland Parent D
What Are Your Options for a Future Sibling Journey?
You are not obligated to work with Heartland Surrogacy for a future sibling journey. We would be happy to support you again, and we respect your choice of how to grow your family.
We're here for you
Have questions about choosing an agency? Schedule a free consultation with Heartland Surrogacy to discuss your goals and learn how we can support you.
