So you are looking for a surrogacy agency. Supporting Surrogacy has come up with 10 things to look for in a surrogacy agency. If you are looking for questions to ask your agency click here.

1. Communicate Well

They respond to you and your requests in a timely manner. Their communication is professional, clear and appropriate.

2. Good Reviews

You have done some research and found that others have great things to say about them. Join this facebook group for some reviews. Ask to speak with some of their past clients. Join some surrogacy groups see if there are a large amount of unhappy intended parents or surrogates.

3. Large Number of Surrogates

You want to know that the agency you are working with has access to a large number of surrogates. The important part here is that the ratio of surrogates/intended parents is higher.

4. Experience

You do not want to trust your investment to a newer agency. Make sure they have been doing this for at least 5 years or more. More experience means more likely they can support you appropriately.

5. Connected to Other Surrogacy Professionals

Make sure they have a relationship with other professionals in the industry such as: Lawyers, Fertility Clinics, Psychological/ Counselling professionals. The more contacts they have the easier it will be for you and your journey.

6. Upfront Regarding Costs

They give you estimates regarding the costs associated with each step. You want to make sure they aren’t hiding costs. Make sure they are within the average of agencies in your area. If they aren’t, find out why!

7. They are Well Staffed

You want to make sure that you will have help when you need it. Ask how many people an average coordinator will take care of at one time. You want a lower number of clients to staff.

8. Extra Services

Ideally, you want to match the kinds of services that you will need to the agency who will provide them. If you need more support, make sure your agency has more services. If you need certain services make sure they have the ones you need. This could mean support for you as well as for your surrogate.

9. They Google Well

You’ve taken the time to google them and you don’t find anything negative. The worst thing to happen is that you’ve signed with them and find out they are involved in a surrogacy horror story.

10. General Timeline for Matching

They are able to tell you their general guidelines for how long a match takes. Ensure they aren’t too long or too short. If they are different from the average of 3-12 months. Find out why.