Surrogates come from across the globe, from all walks of life, but one thing ties them together: to help deserving families grow by becoming a surrogate mother. Like any other surrogacy agency, Surrogate Parenting Services (SPS) set their standards high to ensure that every surrogate selected is of optimal health, both physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Here we take a look at what the screening process looks like:

1. Becoming a surrogate mother is an extensive process, which must start by completing an online application filled with questions that gauge whether or not an applicant is fit for SPS. These questions are thorough, and can be as basic as inquiring about age and whether the applicant is a nonsmoker, to proof of previous healthy birth(s), and if there is a history of illegal drug and alcohol use.

2. Once the applicant has been cleared from her initial application and medical proofs, she will then need to be assessed by a licensed social worker and have a home interview. Both the potential surrogate and her primary support will undergo a series of criminal background checks and bankruptcy/judgment history checks. Psychological screenings and tests will also be administered by a trained psychologist.

3. For the final segment of the approval process, becoming a surrogate requires an in-person medical screening that will be arranged to take place in an IVF clinic. In some cases, depending on the doctor chosen, the potential surrogate’s partner may also require medical clearance.

If all the necessary steps have been cleared, then the surrogate will be accepted into the SPS program. She will be assigned a surrogate ID and the information contained in her application (minus her name and contact information) will be placed in a password protected database. Intended parents will then be able to access our Surrogate Database and search through our surrogate profiles to make their final selection. Due to the great pains we take during the personal matching process, the amount of time it takes to match a surrogate to an intended parent couple can vary greatly, but if for whatever reason SPS cannot match a surrogate with an intended parent couple, we will refer them to another reputable surrogacy program.

Please take into account that many women in a typical month apply to become surrogates, and only a percentage are actually accepted into the pool and matched with intended parents of similar expectations. Becoming a surrogate mother is an extensive and through process, and applicants who do pass the initial application process are not guaranteed to pass later screenings, like the matching stage, because of medical, legal, or financial reasons. We know no one is perfect, but our professionals at SPS try to focus on the “big picture” when it comes to reviewing surrogates to present to our clients.