As a prospective surrogate, part of your surrogacy process is undergoing screening to ensure that you’re ready, physically and mentally, to become a surrogate. Just as you must go through this process, intended parents must also be cleared through surrogacy screening.

Screening for surrogacy can be confusing, so you can always contact us online to get free surrogacy information now. But, you can also find the answers that you’ve been searching for in this detailed guide. Below, you can learn everything you need to know about how intended parents are screened and surrogacy screening in general.

Application and Questionnaire [Are the Intended Parents Ready for Surrogacy?]

The first thing intended parents will need to do for their surrogacy screening process is complete the initial application. On the application, the intended parents will answer some important questions, which surrogacy professionals design to ensure that the intended parents are ready for surrogacy.

After they submit this application, a surrogacy professional will reach out to them to gather some of the finer details, such as their goals, needs and preferences. They’ll discuss these with the intended parents over the phone or in person, and, once the professional has a solid grasp of the intended parents’ goals, they’ll put together a surrogacy questionnaire for them. From a general standpoint, this questionnaire covers:

• What type of surrogacy they are interested in
• Their surrogacy budget
• Requirements for gamete donors
• How much contact with the surrogate they’d like to have
• How they plan on discussing surrogacy with their child

The application and questionnaire will give the surrogacy professional a good understanding of whether the intended parents are ready for surrogacy or not.

Background Checks [to Keep You Safe]

The next step for intended parents’ surrogacy screening is undergoing some background checks. Just as you’ll clear background checks yourself, intended parents will clear background checks for child abuse and their criminal history. These ensure that they can provide a child with a safe, stable environment.

If intended parents do have a criminal background, especially one with child abuse charges in any form, surrogacy professionals will likely not work with them. Be sure to speak with your surrogacy professional to see what criminal convictions would disqualify intended parents from surrogacy.

In-Home Visits [to Ensure a Safe Environment]

Some surrogacy professionals will require in-home visits for intended parents. Similar to the background checks, this is so that the surrogacy professional can make sure the intended parents will provide a safe, stable and nurturing home for the child. If you’re familiar with adoption, then this is comparable to the home study.

A trained social worker will visit the intended parents’ home and conduct interviews with all adults living in the household. They’ll make sure that the house meets safety standards for children, and the intended parents can ask the social worker any questions they may have about the surrogacy. As you research surrogacy agencies to work with, be sure to ask them whether they conduct in-home visits for intended parents or not.

Your Agency’s Screening Requirements [It Depends on Your Professional]

Depending on what surrogacy agency you work with, there may be some extra screening requirements for intended parents. This is why it’s crucial to speak with each surrogacy professional you consider and ask them about their surrogacy screening process. You will want to ask about the screening process for prospective surrogates and intended parents alike.

On top of this, ask whether they’ll complete the screening before or after the matching process begins. This can have a significant impact on your surrogacy journey. When surrogacy professionals pre-screen intended parents before matching, you can rest easy knowing that these intended parents are 100% committed to surrogacy.

To help get you started with finding a surrogacy agency, here are some that you can contact at any time:

• American Surrogacy
• Golden Surrogacy
• Circle Surrogacy
• All Families Surrogacy

Aside from the screening process, you can also get to know the intended parents on your own. Below, we’ll explore how you can decide if they’re the right fit for you.

Getting to Know the Intended Parents [Finding a Perfect Match]

Similar to how your surrogacy professional will screen the intended parents, you’ll do your own version of this when you meet the intended parents yourself. You’ll want to make sure that you choose the intended parents that are right for you, and your surrogacy agency can help you find the perfect match. Your professional will present you with intended parents whose preferences match your own.

But, you may have some trouble determining what intended parents are right for you. In that case, we’ve provided some examples of questions you could ask them. These will help you narrow down your search, especially if you don’t have the guidance or support of a surrogacy agency:

• When would you like to begin the surrogacy process?
• How many attempts at an embryo transfer are you willing to try?
• Are you using your own eggs/sperm or a donor’s?
• How do you plan on telling the child about surrogacy when they’re older?
• What are you most looking forward to about parenthood?
• Does your family know about your surrogacy? Are they supportive?
• Are there any legal or medical professionals you have in mind to help complete the process?

Just as you’ll have time to ask the intended parents some questions, make sure you’re prepared to answer any questions that they have, too. If you’re feeling nervous about meeting them for the first time, then that is completely normal. Keep in mind that your surrogacy professional will mediate your first conversation with them to help break the ice a bit. This should help dispel any lingering tension or nerves.

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This can be a lot of information to soak in at once, so we understand if you have some more questions about surrogacy screening. In that case, you can always fill out our online contact form to get more surrogacy information now. We would love to help you at any time, and we look forward to hearing from you!