Surrogacy in California is on the rise, perhaps even more than it is in other states. The process has become commonplace with the shift to gestational surrogacy; an option that allows intended parents to share a genetic link with their baby or have a child with the help of a donor. It differs from traditional surrogacy in that the gestational surrogate’s egg is not used, so she shares no biological relationship with the baby. While this shift by itself has led more intended parents to seek the help of surrogates, it doesn’t explain the drastic rise of surrogacy in California entirely. The new, more protective laws for intended parents do.

Early Numbers Suggest an Exponential Increase

Although surrogacy in California is not tracked as fully as it should be, the Sacramento Bee was able to get preliminary numbers from the California Department of Public Health. According to their records, hospital clerks noted “surrogacy” just 53 times in charts in 2010. By 2015, the number skyrocketed to 360 records of surrogate births.

California Protects the Rights of Intended Parents

While many states initially adopted what’s known as the “Uniform Parentage Act,” which is specially designed to protect the rights of parents and children, California has repeatedly added new legislation to ensure the regulations keep up with the times. For clarification, the original laws were created back in the 70s and many states still use them. In 2013, California made a major breakthrough and adapted the law to address surrogacy, ensuring that the intended parents would be the parents of a child born via surrogacy. Other states require blood tests after a baby is born or require the intended parents to adopt their baby. In 2015, additional guidelines were added, which further protected all intended parents and made the rule that most surrogacy cases that directly involved California in some way would have to be tried within the state. In other words, it further serves as a safeguard against the unfair laws of other states, even if the baby happens to be born in another state or the gestational carrier resides elsewhere. To date, California is the only state to have established such comprehensive laws.

Who is Choosing Surrogacy in California?

People from all over the world are coming to the Golden State when they’d like to grow their family with the help of a surrogate. America, as a whole, has become a trusted destination due to the high quality of medical care available, but California, in particular, is chosen because of these protective statutes.

Work with a Reputable Agency

SPS was founded in 1990 and has helped bring more than 600 babies into the world and into the loving arms of their intended parents. We create ideal pairings of intended parents and qualified surrogates, give them the opportunity to meet, and support them through the process. If you’re a woman who is interested in helping to make a family’s dreams come true, please review our guidelines and contact us when you’re ready to move forward. If you’re a person who is interested in growing your family, please contact us today to get started.