Surrogacy for Intended Parents: Find a Qualified Surrogate With EDSI
Egg Donor & Surrogacy Institute helps intended parents find and move forward with qualified gestational surrogate candidates in the United States.
Before EDSI presents a surrogate candidate to intended parents, she must complete the required Ready for Matching™ qualification process. This includes pregnancy and delivery record review, current health and medication review, required health documentation, psychological evaluation, background screening, support and readiness assessment, and preliminary insurance review.
After a mutual match, the intended parents’ fertility clinic performs its own medical evaluation and makes the final medical clearance decision.
Tell us where you are in the process, including whether you already have embryos or a fertility clinic. We’ll help you understand your next steps and whether EDSI is the right fit.
Private, no cost, and no obligation to proceed.
Find your next step
Start with the situation that fits you. Each option explains what to focus on next, with a guide when you want more detail.
I already have embryos
Focus on surrogate qualification, matching, and coordination with your existing fertility clinic.
I need help finding a surrogate
Understand what is reviewed before a candidate is presented and how a mutual match is made.
I need an egg donor
Explore egg donation and how embryo creation fits into your broader surrogacy plan.
I’m still exploring my options
Learn the main stages, the professionals involved, and which questions to resolve before starting.
EDSI has worked in third party reproduction for more than 25 years and reports supporting more than 3,000 births through surrogacy and egg donation. Among candidates EDSI has qualified and presented under its screening process, approximately 98 percent have subsequently been accepted by the intended parents’ fertility clinic. Final medical clearance always remains with the fertility clinic.
How does EDSI help intended parents?
EDSI coordinates the nonclinical parts of a U.S. surrogacy journey while independent professionals retain responsibility for medical, psychological, legal, insurance, and financial decisions within their respective roles.
EDSI support includes surrogate recruitment and qualification, compatibility based matching, fertility clinic coordination, independent legal coordination, insurance review, independent third party escrow coordination, pregnancy support, birth planning, and journey oversight.
The goal is to help intended parents understand what has already been reviewed before a surrogate is presented, what still requires independent clearance, and who is responsible at each stage.
What happens before EDSI presents a surrogate candidate?
A surrogate candidate is not presented based only on an application or profile.
Before presentation, EDSI requires completion of its Ready for Matching™ qualification process. The process is designed to identify important health history, pregnancy history, medication, psychological, background, insurance, support, and readiness issues before intended parents become emotionally or financially committed to a proposed match.
After a mutual match, the intended parents’ fertility clinic conducts its own medical evaluation and independently determines whether the surrogate is medically eligible to proceed.
EDSI works with intended parents at different stages of family building.
EDSI supports LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples, single intended parents, and international intended parents pursuing surrogacy and egg donation.
Who does EDSI support?
EDSI works with individuals and couples from different family backgrounds. You may identify with more than one of these groups, and you can contact EDSI whether you have embryos ready, are working with a clinic, or are just beginning.
Heterosexual couples facing infertility
Couples exploring gestational surrogacy after fertility challenges or unsuccessful treatment.
LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples
Same-sex couples and other LGBTQIA+ intended parents pursuing surrogacy and egg donation.
Single intended parents
Individuals pursuing parenthood independently, with the medical, legal, financial, and matching preparation their journey requires.
Parents unable to carry a pregnancy
Intended parents exploring surrogacy because of medical conditions or pregnancy-related concerns, in consultation with their healthcare providers.
Parents considering donor eggs for genetic concerns
Families exploring egg donation because of known genetic concerns. Their fertility team guides medical evaluation and testing decisions.
International intended parents
Parents living outside the United States pursuing U.S. surrogacy, with additional travel, citizenship, documentation, and legal planning.
Already have embryos?
If your embryos are already created and stored with a fertility clinic, EDSI can focus immediately on the surrogacy portion of your journey.
You generally do not need to move your embryos or change fertility clinics simply because you choose EDSI for surrogate recruitment, qualification, matching, and coordination.
EDSI reviews factors such as your fertility clinic requirements, embryo readiness, anticipated transfer timing, location preferences, insurance considerations, and matching priorities before introducing potential candidates.
It can remove one major variable because embryo creation has already been completed.
The remaining timeline still depends on surrogate availability, compatibility, clinic requirements, medical clearance, legal preparation, insurance, and embryo transfer timing.
Yes.
EDSI works with intended parents using fertility clinics across the United States.
Your clinic retains responsibility for medical treatment and final surrogate clearance.
If you still need embryos or an egg donor
Some intended parents begin surrogacy before embryo creation is complete.
Others may need an egg donor before they can proceed.
EDSI can coordinate the surrogacy component alongside fertility treatment and egg donation so that the different parts of the family building plan are appropriately sequenced.
Egg donation process · Egg donor search · Register to explore egg donors
Integrated Care Standard
EDSI coordinates the nonclinical parts of a U.S. surrogacy journey while independent professionals retain responsibility for medical, psychological, legal, insurance, and financial decisions within their respective roles.
Transparency Standard
The goal is to help intended parents understand what has already been reviewed before a surrogate is presented, what still requires independent clearance, and who is responsible at each stage.
Structured Coordination Standard
EDSI support includes surrogate recruitment and qualification, compatibility based matching, fertility clinic coordination, independent legal coordination, insurance review, independent third party escrow coordination, pregnancy support, birth planning, and journey oversight.
How does the surrogacy process work for intended parents?
The surrogacy process typically moves through qualification, matching, fertility clinic clearance, legal preparation, embryo transfer, pregnancy, and birth planning.
Before presentation: EDSI completes its required Ready for Matching™ qualification process. After a mutual match: the intended parents’ fertility clinic makes the final medical clearance decision. Independent attorneys handle legal preparation, and independent third party escrow manages surrogate funds.
Expand a step below for the details, or read the complete surrogacy process.
You may already have embryos ready, still be creating embryos, need an egg donor, already work with a fertility clinic, or be beginning the process from the start.
Your starting point affects timing, matching, clinic coordination, legal preparation, and financial planning.
EDSI reviews your fertility clinic, timing, location preferences, surrogate preferences, communication expectations, legal considerations, and other factors that may affect matching.
Candidates must complete the Ready for Matching™ qualification process before presentation.
This helps identify important issues before a potential match is introduced.
EDSI does not rely solely on a profile or database search.
Matching considers practical and personal compatibility, including clinic requirements, communication expectations, location, pregnancy preferences, birth expectations, and sensitive decision points.
EDSI Matching Compass helps organize compatibility information, while experienced EDSI team members review each proposed introduction.
Both the intended parents and surrogate decide independently whether they want to proceed.
Intended parents and the surrogate have an opportunity to communicate, ask questions, and determine whether they feel comfortable proceeding together.
A match is not finalized simply because a profile appears compatible.
After a mutual match, the intended parents’ fertility clinic performs its own medical evaluation.
The clinic determines whether the surrogate is medically eligible to proceed with embryo transfer.
EDSI qualification does not replace fertility clinic clearance.
Independent attorneys represent the intended parents and surrogate.
Insurance is reviewed for the pregnancy.
Funds designated for surrogate compensation and authorized reimbursements are managed through an independent third party escrow arrangement.
The fertility clinic manages medications, monitoring, embryo transfer, pregnancy testing, and medical treatment.
EDSI continues coordinating the nonclinical parts of the journey.
EDSI remains involved throughout the pregnancy with communication support, logistics, escrow coordination, insurance matters, and preparation for delivery.
Medical decisions remain between the surrogate and her healthcare providers.
As delivery approaches, EDSI coordinates with the intended parents, surrogate, attorneys, and hospital as appropriate.
Parentage matters are handled by qualified legal counsel according to applicable law.
After birth, remaining escrow, reimbursement, documentation, and administrative matters are completed.
EDSI continues coordinating the nonclinical process through completion.
What should intended parents verify before accepting a surrogate candidate?
Use these six topics when discussing a proposed candidate with your agency. Ask what has been completed, what remains, and who is responsible.
1. Records and current health
- Have prior pregnancy and delivery records been collected and reviewed?
- Have current health conditions, medications, and relevant treatment history been reviewed?
2. Psychological and background screening
- Has psychological evaluation been completed?
- Have required background checks been completed?
3. Insurance and practical support
- Has the candidate’s insurance received a preliminary review?
- Has the surrogate’s practical support system and readiness for the journey been assessed?
4. Compatibility and mutual choice
- Have important issues involving communication, pregnancy expectations, travel, clinic requirements, birth preferences, and sensitive medical decisions been discussed?
- Can both the intended parents and surrogate decide independently whether they want to proceed?
5. Medical clearance and rematching
- Who determines whether the surrogate is medically eligible? The fertility clinic should make the final medical clearance decision.
- What happens if the proposed match does not proceed or the surrogate does not receive clinic clearance?
6. Independent legal counsel and escrow
- Does the surrogate have independent legal counsel?
- Who holds and manages the funds designated for compensation and reimbursements?
These questions can help intended parents evaluate the strength of any surrogacy program, not only EDSI.
How much should intended parents budget for surrogacy?
The total cost of a U.S. surrogacy journey is usually considerably greater than the agency fee alone.
A complete budget may include surrogate compensation and benefits, fertility treatment, medical screening, legal fees, insurance, escrow, travel, pregnancy related expenses, and agency services.
EDSI currently uses a planning range of approximately $150,000 to $220,000 for many U.S. journeys.
Actual cost depends on factors such as the surrogate, state, insurance, fertility clinic, embryo transfer history, legal needs, and individual circumstances.
This is a planning range, not a guaranteed total.
Who manages surrogate funds?
EDSI uses independent third party escrow for surrogate compensation and authorized reimbursements.
This creates separation between agency coordination and financial administration.
Intended parents should understand who holds the funds, how payments are authorized, and which expenses remain variable before enrolling in any program.
What happens if a rematch is needed?
Rematching terms should be reviewed before enrollment.
Intended parents should understand what qualifies for a rematch, whether additional agency fees can apply, whether transfer limits exist, and how protection differs before and after embryo transfer.
EDSI offers defined program options so intended parents can understand those protections before committing.
Who handles what during a surrogacy journey?
| Participant | Primary responsibility |
|---|---|
| EDSI | Recruitment, qualification, matching, journey coordination, communication support, pregnancy support, and birth planning |
| Fertility clinic | Medical evaluation, treatment, medications, embryo transfer, and final medical clearance |
| Intended parent attorney | Legal advice, gestational agreement, and parentage work as applicable |
| Surrogate attorney | Independent legal advice for the surrogate |
| Escrow provider | Holding and disbursing authorized surrogate funds |
| Insurance professionals | Coverage review, exclusions, maternity planning, and additional coverage when required |
| Mental health professional | Psychological evaluation and readiness assessment |
| Surrogate | Decisions concerning her own medical care and voluntary participation |
| Intended parents | Family building, clinic, legal, matching, and journey decisions within their role |
Frequently Asked Questions
Look for a process that evaluates more than basic application eligibility.
EDSI requires candidates to complete its Ready for Matching™ qualification process before presentation, followed by independent medical clearance from the intended parents’ fertility clinic after a mutual match.
Yes.
Required Ready for Matching™ qualification occurs before a candidate is presented.
No.
EDSI qualifies candidates for presentation. The fertility clinic independently makes the final medical clearance decision.
No.
EDSI works with intended parents who already have embryos as well as parents who are still creating embryos or may need an egg donor.
Yes.
Your fertility clinic remains responsible for medical care and surrogate medical clearance.
Matching time varies based on surrogate availability, clinic requirements, geography, legal considerations, insurance, and intended parent preferences.
EDSI can provide a more individualized expectation after reviewing your case.
The next steps depend on the reason, timing, and program terms.
Rematching protections should be understood before enrollment.
Compensation and authorized reimbursements are managed through independent third party escrow.
Yes.
The surrogate should have independent legal counsel separate from the intended parents’ attorney.
Yes.
Matching should be mutual, and both sides should have an opportunity to decide whether they want to proceed.
Yes.
The surrogate retains authority over her own medical care in consultation with her healthcare providers.
Yes.
Additional legal, citizenship, travel, and documentation planning may be required.
Talk with the EDSI Intended Parent Team
Tell us where you are in your journey. We will help you understand the process, matching considerations, expected next steps, and questions that should be resolved before you proceed.
Private, no cost, and no obligation to proceed.
