What you need to know before you get started
The Requirements to Become a Surrogate
While most agencies have similar requirements to become a surrogate, you will need to meet the specific qualifications of the IVF clinic you and your intended parents are working with. Alcea prescreens candidates to ensure optimal clinic medical clearance is achieved. At Alcea, you must meet these minimal requirements.
Surrogacy in the United States
Although there are no federal surrogacy laws in the United States, agencies around the country follow similar protocols to ensure the health and emotional safety of both surrogates and intended parents. Agencies specialize in the legal aspects of surrogacy contracts and can ensure that everyone involved is protected; from screening, through establishing parentage, and delivery.
Surrogacy is regulated on a state level. Processes and laws can vary wildly from state to state. Intended parents often have to travel to a different state to pursue a gestational surrogacy agreement that fits their unique needs.
Michigan is the only state remaining that expressly prohibits paid surrogacy, but states are either more or less friendly to surrogacy with some having unclear surrogacy laws and uncertainty about the legality of pre-birth orders and contracts.
States that are not surrogacy-friendly states that could present legal issues for people pursuing surrogacy are Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wyoming. States where surrogacy is severely restricted and even criminalized, are Louisiana, Michigan, and Nebraska. It is highly recommended NOT to pursue surrogacy in these states.
Next up in our series: compensation and benefits!
Learn more about surrogacy
If you can’t wait for the next blog, the Alcea website is filled with resources for you to better understand the commitment and benefits of becoming a surrogate. If you are interested in learning more, please click on one of the links below or click here to set up a time to speak with one of our team members.
Read our ebook – Surrogacy: Everything you need to know about becoming a gestational carrier