How To Become a Surrogate in Florida
Surrogacy in Florida
Surrogacy is a life-changing opportunity for a mom to do something meaningful while still maintaining the things that are most important to her– time with her children, her career, her education… A mom can become a surrogate while staying home with young children, working full time, or continuing her education and bring a significant windfall to her family, easing the financial burden of parenthood.
For some couples and individuals, parenthood is a dream that would remain just out of reach, if it weren’t for the generous heart of a mother choosing to become a surrogate. If you’re a mom in the state of Florida, you can help build families! Surrogacy is legal in Florida and there are laws that guide and recognize contracts for traditional and gestational surrogacy arrangements.
These laws protect the rights of the surrogate, the intended parents, and even the unborn child.
Areas We Serve
Neptune beach, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Fort lauderdale, Lake worth, Palm bay, Hialeah, Riverview, Defuniak springs, Hollywood, Brandon, Marianna, Sanford, Kissimee, and most cities and counties in Florida. No matter where you are in Florida, if you want to become a surrogate, contact us and we’ll see if we can make it happen for you!
Understanding Surrogacy
Why Become A Surrogate?
For one, you will be making a dream come true by helping someone build their treasured family. The laws in Florida make it very easy for both the surrogate and the intended parents to protect themselves and their interests. The reason many moms choose to explore surrogacy is that the compensation allows them the freedom and flexibility to do more for their families than is possible on their standard income. In many, if not most, cases, the surrogate and her family gain lifelong friends in the process and feel a tremendous sense of pride in bringing indescribable joy to another person or individual who could not have had their miracle baby without the surrogate’s help.
Steps to Become a Surrogate in FL
Applying to become a surrogate previously meant browsing the websites of one surrogacy agency after the other, filling out multiple long form applications with in depth personal information and not even knowing who was on the receiving end, following up on your applications with each surrogacy agency, and waiting for someone to reach out, or in some cases being declined for reasons that another agency might not have an issue with.
For instance, while most surrogacy agencies are nationwide, some prefer only to work in certain regions of the country. Some agencies work with IVF clinics that have specific restrictions that many others don’t. It’s impossible when starting out to anticipate the nuanced preferences of one agency to the next. It can be discouraging, or even scary to blindly apply to an agency without knowing what to look for.
Hear surrogates talk about the myths and misconceptions they’ve encountered in their journey to be life-giving supermoms.
Hear Sunshine tell the story of her first surrogacy journey that changed her life forever!
After my first surrogacy journey, I realized how arduous the application process was and learned that many moms who wanted to become a surrogate did not go through with it simply because of the long and time consuming application process.
With that in mind, we eliminated the difficult application process and replaced it with three simple steps.
- Aspiring surrogates simply fill out our short 8-minute pre-qualifying quiz.
- If qualified, we get on a call to explain the next steps, answer any other lingering questions, and have a conversation about her health and pregnancy history to make sure surrogacy is safe for her
- Then we do the agency shopping and present reputable surrogacy agency options to the surrogate, who has already pre-approved her based on their criteria.
We do all of this at no cost to the surrogate, and in most if not all cases, we negotiate the best compensation for her that she might not have been comfortable with asking for on her own.
Requirements to Become a Gestational Surrogate in Florida
Certain requirements depend upon the surrogacy agency and the wishes of the intended parents. Some agencies have more requirements than others but, in general, here are the requirements needed to become a surrogate.
- Ideally aged 21 – 40.
- BMI between 18 – 34.
- Good physical health.
- Has at least one child.
- Does not use illegal drugs.
- No history of serious mental illness.
- Learn more about the requirements HERE.
There are also some legal and emotional requirements that you need to pass in order to become a surrogate in FL.
How Much Do Surrogates Make in Florida?
Compensation is one of the things that are often asked about when it comes to becoming a surrogate and it is only fair to be compensated because carrying a pregnancy is no easy task.
When it comes to pre-screening and IVF, surrogate pregnancy is even more arduous than a personal pregnancy. Surrogates sacrifice at least 12 months of their time, efforts, and emotions in order to carry a baby to term.
Seeing the dreams of an intended parent fulfilled makes it worth every moment. The joy and pride of completing a successful surrogacy journey is unlike anything else. It’s hard to imagine anything could be as special as having your own children, but it’s pretty darn close.
As fulfilling as the journey is, surrogates deserve to be generously compensated for what their body goes through in an IVF Cycle (sometimes multiple IVF cycles if a transfer is not successful!) Surrogates are paid between $40,000 – $75,000 on average, based on several factors like experience, whether she is carrying twins or multiples, and if there are special requests from the intended parents. In special circumstances, it can be even higher.
Compensation can also be separated into four segments.
- Compensation before pregnancy.
- Compensation during pregnancy.
- Compensation after giving birth (Post Partum).
- As needed compensation and benefits like bed rest allowance, lost wages, invasive procedure fee, etc…
Surrogate compensation is discussed in its entirety before signing a surrogacy agreement. It is advisable to ask anything and everything you can think of so you are aware of what you’re entitled to during the journey.
Your responsibilities and the intended parents’ responsibilities are also discussed and included in the contract so everybody understands and is aware of their responsibilities.
Surrogacy Laws in Florida
Florida has favorable laws when it comes to surrogacy and that is why many straight and same-sex couples, and single individuals prefer surrogacy in Florida.
Drafting a surrogacy contract is very easy in Florida because of the guide that is outlined below. At the same time, establishing parentage is also very easy and is clear cut under the Florida surrogacy laws.
Gestational surrogacy contract.— (1) Prior to engaging in gestational surrogacy, a binding and enforceable gestational surrogacy contract shall be made between the commissioning couple and the gestational surrogate. A contract for gestational surrogacy shall not be binding and enforceable unless the gestational surrogate is 18 years of age or older and the commissioning couple are legally married and are both 18 years of age or older. (2) The commissioning couple shall enter into a contract with a gestational surrogate only when, within reasonable medical certainty as determined by a physician licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459: (a) The commissioning mother cannot physically gestate a pregnancy to term; (b) The gestation will cause a risk to the physical health of the commissioning mother; or (c) The gestation will cause a risk to the health of the fetus. (3) A gestational surrogacy contract must include the following provisions: (a) The commissioning couple agrees that the gestational surrogate shall be the sole source of consent with respect to clinical intervention and management of the pregnancy. (b) The gestational surrogate agrees to submit to reasonable medical evaluation and treatment and to adhere to reasonable medical instructions about her prenatal health. (c) Except as provided in paragraph (e), the gestational surrogate agrees to relinquish any parental rights upon the child’s birth and to proceed with the judicial proceedings prescribed under s. 742.16. (d) Except as provided in paragraph (e), the commissioning couple agrees to accept custody of and to assume full parental rights and responsibilities for the child immediately upon the child’s birth, regardless of any impairment of the child. (e) The gestational surrogate agrees to assume parental rights and responsibilities for the child born to her if it is determined that neither member of the commissioning couple is the genetic parent of the child. (4) As part of the contract, the commissioning couple may agree to pay only reasonable living, legal, medical, psychological, and psychiatric expenses of the gestational surrogate that are directly related to prenatal, intrapartal, and postpartal periods.
All of these may be difficult to process especially if you are new to surrogacy so what I advise you to do if you really want to become a surrogate in Florida is to take our 8-minute pre-qualifying quiz and let us walk you through everything.
We also have a free support group of experienced surrogates who are ready and willing to help every step of the way.
