• Are the psychological screening results shown to the surrogate mother and intended parents? You are to insist on being shown the screening results. It is absolutely necessary to do, because there have been situations, where it was clear to a psychologist that the intended parents or surrogate mother did not feel that surrogacy journey is exactly what they want to come through.
• Who is the first to be contacted with: the surrogate mother or the intended parents? Every agency usually conducts several representatives: one is for it perspective clients, and the second is for people, who get directly involved in the surrogacy journey. the agency’s stuff is to know who is to be the first to get into contact with in case of some necessity.
• Is there anyone, always available to get in touch with, if any kind of problem should arise? Of course you do wish to have 24 hour contact, so, be sure the agency, you are going to work with is able to offer this to its clients.
• Is there any kind of a waiting list for potential intended parents? If the answer is negative, then you should think about the agency’s proper screening of its surrogate mother’s conducting. As a rule, there are always more people, who wish to become intended parents, rather than people, who are potential surrogate mothers. Do not forget to get interested why the agency, you are going to apply to has such a big supply. It would be also good if you asked what portion of the women, who contact the agency become accepted into its program. Find out about the agency’s accepting criteria.
• Are there any references, provided by the surrogacy agency, you are going to apply to? If you want to get an idea of how well the agency provides its services, the best way out for you is to talk to the intended parents and surrogate mothers, who have worked with the agency, and have had their journey completed successfully.
• Is there the brochure and the cost evaluation sheet available? If there is no, it should make you look for another agency. You are to know from the very beginning, for what you will be charged and what will you pay your fee for. Keep in mind that like in any kind of business, there may possibly be some hidden costs. Find out if the agency, you are going to apply to, provide legal services, and if the contract preparation is included. But you are to keep in mind, that many surrogacy agencies have ready contracts, and it does not cost much to adjust them to fit each person individually.
• Does the surrogacy agency receive medical testing from all the participants? Of course there is nothing good in working with the program, which does not receive any medical screening or testing from its surrogate mothers, and being a potential surrogate mother, you are to be cautious, if hear that the program does not require the intended parents to use their body tissues in the surrogacy journey. Remember, that both parties: surrogate mother and the intended parents as well deserve to be protected and respected from all points of view, and from the medical one as well.
• When are the screening services provided: before the participants are introduced to each other or after it? You should be looking for a surrogacy agency, which provides the meeting of potential surrogate mothers and intended parents after the screening is conducted. If so, than you will not find yourself in the middle of the arrangements and of contract negotiations, only in order to get to know that you as a surrogate mother or intended parents do not fit for the further surrogacy journey. As a rule it is up to the perspective intended parents to pay for the surrogate mother’s screening.
• Are the screening fees of the intended parents refundable? Most fees are not refundable, if you wish, you may find the agency, where they are.
• Do the potential intended parents and surrogate mother have a possibility to meet with each other during their journey, or is it recommended to conduct all arrangements in strict anonymity? Before applying to any surrogacy agency, you should get to know, that there are two kinds of arrangements: open and closed. Close arrangement means that neither surrogate mother nor the intended parents will ever meet with each other, and they will not even know each other’s names. Open surrogacy arrangement, is vice versa, when the intended parents and surrogate mother meet, go through the whole journey together, and they may even stay close friends after the delivery.
• Who is responsible for providing help to every party with the details? There are surrogacy agencies, which offer you the assistance with all the details, but when it comes to it, the surrogate mother or the intended parents may find themselves in need to find out how to go about negotiating the contract, how to track cycles, and so on and so forth. In order to avoid all these misunderstandings you are to know from the very beginning what kinds of services will be available for you? If you pay for some kind of service, get to know who is responsible for providing them and make sure that they are aware, what you expect form them.
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