If you have been looking to become a surrogate in California, or you are looking for a surrogate in California, you might have noticed that this state seems to have more resources than any others. Gestational surrogacy continues to grow in prominence for many reasons, including:

  • Awareness of surrogacy thanks to celebrities choosing it;
  • Many people waiting until later in life to become parents;
  • Affordability and access to financial information;
  • Growing awareness of reproductive disorders

Gestational surrogacy that allows intended parents to have a genetic link to their child has also allowed for an increased number of people to seek this option.

All of these factors have increased the number of people seeking surrogacy overall, but why are so many people coming to California for those services?

In 2017, new laws came into place that provided for more protection for intended parents and surrogates.

 

California Goes Above and Beyond To Protect the Rights of Intended Parents Throughout The Surrogacy Process

While many states were quick to adopt what is known as the “Uniform Parentage Act,” initially, California has repeatedly added new and improved legislative motions to help ensure that the regulations remain current and reflect the current state of surrogacy. This act was specially designed to protect the rights of parents and children throughout the surrogacy process.

For the states that didn’t keep up with this act or didn’t adopt the new laws, they are still governed by laws created in the 1970s – laws that are incredibly out of date. It was back in 2013 that California made its first breakthrough in addressing surrogacy. This law ensured that intended parents would be the parents of children born through surrogacy. While some states require invasive blood tests after the baby is born or require that the intended parents adopt the baby (a process that can take even more time, money and effort after birth), California does not. Then, in 2015, there were even more guidelines added to protect intended parents. It required that almost all surrogacy cases that involved California would have to be tried within the state. This protects intended parents and children born from surrogacy, even if they are from other states.

California is the only state to have laws that are this comprehensive.

Practice Makes Perfect – And California Gets A Ton Of Practice

While surrogacy in California doesn’t have many statistics that we have access to, it should be noted that since the laws came into place, the California Department of Public Health has noticed that there was certainly an increase in the number of surrogates within the state. Preliminary data shows that the number continues to grow.

Who Chooses Surrogacy in California?

There are people from all over the world coming to California to grow their families, whether they have been through the surrogacy process before or not. In general, many people come to the United States to have children and within the US, California is the most popular destination.

Within California surrogacy, we see many different types of intended families – LGBTQIA couples and individuals, single men and women, families that already have kids but want more, and many other configurations.

At the same time, many surrogates and egg donors are choosing California agencies to work with throughout the process. They know that they get the best treatment and representation within the state.

No Matter What, You Have To Ensure That You Work with a Reputable Surrogacy Agency

Our California surrogacy agency, SPS, has been helping to build families since 1990 and has since helped to build over 600 families and we keep counting. Our goal is to provide a supportive, inclusive environment for everyone involved. Throughout the years, we have perfected pairings of intended parents, surrogates, and egg donors. We give them the opportunity to meet, and support them through the process – you will never feel alone. If you’re a person who is interested in growing your family, please contact us today to get started.