One of the biggest life decisions you can make is when to start a family. If you’re considering surrogacy to start yours, or you’re interested in becoming a surrogate to give the gift of a child to someone else, the number of questions you have can feel overwhelming.

How do you start the process? What’s required, and do you qualify?

At Family Source Consultants, we understand your questions and can provide the answers. Most of our staff have been through the surrogacy process, either as Intended Parents or as surrogate mothers. Helping Intended Parents and surrogates isn’t just a job for any of us.

We’re passionate about helping people start and expand their families through surrogacy. We know the joys that parenthood through surrogacy can bring and the rewards of helping individuals and families realize their dreams of becoming parents.

We’re here to answer your questions and speak to your concerns about surrogacy in Florida. Let us help you understand the process and take the next steps in your surrogacy journey.

The Benefits of Surrogacy in Florida

Each state handles surrogacy differently. States have laws that range from recognizing and supporting surrogacy to a complete ban on paid surrogacy arrangements. Fortunately, Florida’s laws make the surrogacy process legal and simple. Florida is one of the most surrogate-friendly states in the US.

Some states require post-birth court appearances and second-parent adoption, among other legal filings. The processes required to finalize a child’s parentage after a surrogacy birth can be overwhelming in some states. Not Florida!

Florida eliminates the need for surrogate court appearances and second-parent adoptions to make surrogacy a smooth and easy process for everyone involved. Florida surrogacy laws recognize gestational surrogate contracts and contracts for egg and sperm donation.

Florida surrogacy laws help Intended Parents rest easy. Florida egg donor contracts ensure that donors legally relinquish all rights and can’t try to claim maternal rights later.

This surrogacy-supportive state has processes in place to make surrogacy in Florida safe for everyone involved, and you don’t have to live in Florida to take advantage of its benefits.

We Know Florida Law

We’ve helped Intended Parents internationally and across the United States, so we know which states are more supportive and friendly to surrogacy. We have offices in Illinois and Florida, two of the best states for legal surrogacy protections and processes.

We started with a Chicago office in 2007, and we keep abreast of changes in US surrogacy laws so we can change our recommendations as needed. We follow Florida surrogacy law carefully and understand how to navigate their legal system.

Our office in Miami works with top reproductive attorneys in Florida and the US to stay on top of the law and recommend the best lawyers to Intended Parents. If you choose Florida for surrogacy, we can help you find a surrogate in Orlando, one in Miami, or one anywhere across the state.

We’re Aligned with Florida Medical Professionals

We can handle surrogacy for Intended Parents living in any state, but Florida’s pro-surrogacy stance means some of the best reproductive endocrinologists, and top IVF and fertility clinics, are in Florida. Miami has 11 clinics, and with over 70 statewide, you have many convenient options.

Psychologists and other healthcare workers who understand the challenges of surrogacy are available in Florida to help meet the physical and emotional needs of Intended Parents and surrogates.

We’re Local

We believe we operate the best surrogate agency Miami has to offer. We also believe that as an Intended Parent or a potential surrogate, you deserve the best surrogate agency Miami and the state of Florida have available. Our Miami office has a list of potential surrogates who are ready to give the gift of parenthood to an individual or family.

We’ve facilitated about 1,000 matches between Intended Parents and surrogates so far. Are you ready to be our next one? At Family Source Consultants, we can find a surrogate in Florida and help you start your surrogacy journey.

Gestational Surrogacy in Florida

Both traditional and gestational surgery are legal in Florida. Traditional surrogacy involves a surrogate mother who donates her egg and carries the child. Gestational surrogacy requires a separate egg donor so that the surrogate mother is not genetically linked to the child she carries.

Gestational surrogacy is the safest and simplest process for everyone involved. That’s why, at Family Source Consultants, we only handle gestational surrogacy.

Traditional surrogacy, also known as preplanned adoption, is a wonderful option for some Intended Parents and surrogate mothers. The risk of a surrogate mother trying to keep the child is low because of careful screening and requirements. However, most states allow for a waiting period after the birth of the child for a surrogate mother to change her mind. Florida allows a 48-hour waiting period, during which a surrogate mother can opt to claim rights to the child.

Egg donors, in states with the best surrogacy laws like Florida, relinquish all rights to any child born from their egg donation. Since the surrogate mother isn’t linked genetically to the child, there’s no question of her changing her mind and wanting to be a parent to the child.

We prefer to eliminate all risks, no matter how small, by opting for gestational surrogacy only in Florida and around the world.

Florida laws don’t require the post-birth court appearances and filings that many other states use as part of the birth certification process. Adoption proceedings or paternity documentation aren’t required. New parents will petition for a birth certificate and typically be established as the legal parents within three days of the birth.

Heterosexual couples, same-sex couples, and individuals can realize their dreams of parenthood through gestational surrogacy in Florida and enjoy the state’s simplified legal process and protections.

The Surrogacy Process in Florida

Intended Parents in Florida don’t have to go through a surrogacy agency Miami or any other city has to offer. You can find a surrogate independently and go through the process on your own without the help of an agency like ours. The surrogacy will be handled legally in the same way as long as you use a good reproductive lawyer and have all the contracts and requirements in place.

However, we recommend that you consider all the benefits a surrogacy agency like ours provides. At Family Source Consultants, we help you navigate the complex process of finding an appropriate surrogate and handle all the medical and legal details. We recommend top reproductive lawyers, and we know the ins and outs of Florida law.

Let us help you through the process so you can enjoy the anticipation of parenthood and the birth of your child without the stress and hassle of screening surrogates, drawing up contracts, and finalizing the legal and medical paperwork.

The Best Surrogacy Agency for You

You deserve the best surrogacy agency Miami has to offer and the best agency to handle your surrogacy in any state. When you choose Family Source Consultants as your agency, you benefit from our 16 years of experience facilitating surrogacies and helping Intended Parents achieve their dreams of parenthood.

We’re dedicated to making your surrogacy journey as peaceful and easy as possible. You deserve an agency you’re comfortable with and staff who will answer all your questions about the complex surrogacy process. We’re ready to address your concerns and help make the process easy for you.

Finding a Great Egg Donor

If you need a donor, a TeamFSC Donor Coordinator will help you choose someone from our extensive list of carefully screened egg donors.

We screen our donors with attitude and personality tests that also measure each person’s social and psychological well-being. Donors receive a full physical exam and a psychological assessment.

We run a criminal background check on each one and conduct a thorough interview to be sure each donor is suitable and enthusiastic about the process. You can rest assured that when you choose an egg donor through Family Source Consultants, you’re choosing someone who has passed all screenings and tests and wants to give you an incredible gift.

The legal process of egg donation in Florida is a simple one in which the donor gives up all claims to the egg and any child that results from fertilization. There’s no legal recourse for an egg donor to interfere with the surrogacy process once they’ve made the donation and signed the contract.

Finding the Right Surrogate

You don’t have to find a surrogate on your own. Family Source Consultants is there specifically to help you choose the right person to carry your child.

TeamFSC is filled with people who have been surrogate mothers for couples and who have experienced the joys of parenthood through surrogacy. We’re intimately familiar with the importance of finding the right surrogate.

We have Client Relations Managers with years of experience working in surrogacy and being part of the process personally who are eager to help you find a successful match.

Since so many of our Client Relations Managers have been surrogates or Intended Parents, they can help you narrow down the choices. Their intuition and insider knowledge can help you find the perfect surrogate when it’s difficult to choose.

Our surrogates have to meet strict requirements, including medical history screening and health checks, criminal background checks, a sign-off from their obstetricians, and psychological testing. Personality testing and interviews are also an important part of the screening process.

All our surrogates must also be financially stable, which helps us eliminate potential surrogates who are focused only on the compensation and may not have a real desire to help people start or expand a family.

We’re ready to help you find the best surrogate to carry your child. Contact us today and let us tell you more about how we can help you realize your parenthood dreams.

Who Can We Help Find a Surrogate?

The reasons for choosing a surrogate vary from couple to couple and from individual to individual. Many women who can’t have children or have chosen not to get pregnant opt for surrogacy to start or add to their families. Same-sex couples and single men or women who want children sometimes choose surrogacy.

At Family Source Consultants, we don’t discriminate based on people’s marital status or sexuality. We’ve helped single people, unmarried partners, and married couples find surrogates.

Nearly half of Intended Parents we help find surrogates are same-sex couples. We also find matches for single men and women who want to make their parenthood dreams come true through surrogacy.

How to Start the Surrogacy Process in Florida

After you’ve taken the first step of deciding you want to pursue surrogacy, you should contact the surrogate agency you want to help you through the process. Our no-cost consultation for Intended Parents will answer your questions and let us make sure we’re a good fit.

We’ll explain the details and be sure you understand what your surrogacy journey will look like if you choose us, including the cost and time expectations. We want you to understand the process from start to finish so you can make an informed choice about what’s right for you.

How Much Does Surrogacy Cost in Florida?

One of the biggest barriers to surrogacy can be the cost. Many people are afraid to start the process because they fear costs spiraling out of control. You will never have to worry about this with Family Source Consultants.

We know that the cost of surrogacy is one of the biggest uncertainties prospective parents have. That’s why we offer the Family Source Consultants Fixed-Cost Surrogacy Program.

The cost includes management of your surrogacy journey, legal fees, insurance, surrogate travel fees, surrogate compensation, escrow fees, and other fees incurred during surrogate screening, like the criminal background check. The cost of the FSC Unlimited Surrogacy Program also covers unlimited rematching, if that becomes necessary.

If the FSC Fixed-Cost Surrogacy Program isn’t a good fit for your needs, we’re happy to work with you to create a customized plan.

This base price for the program doesn’t include IVF fees or egg donation costs, but those expenses are well-defined to help you get a clear picture of your total cost.

Some additional fees are $20,000 for a double embryo transfer, surrogate and newborn insurance, fertility clinic fees, and additional surrogate compensation which ranges from $5,000 to $15,000.

Egg Donation Costs in Florida

Florida’s surrogacy-friendly laws cover egg donations (and sperm donations), so you’ll never have to worry about a donor attempting to claim any parental rights. If you need an egg donor, that will add a minimum of $17,000 plus any travel and incidental fees for the donor.

The donor compensation expenses start at $8,000 for the first donation, $9,000 for donation number two, and $10,000 each for donations three to six. The incidental and travel fees could range from another $500 to $5,000 dollars, depending on the donor’s location and needs.

These costs don’t include the IVF fees charged by the fertility clinic. Each clinic has its own fee structure, but you can confirm the cost of the procedures before you begin the process.

The egg donation Florida costs break down like this:

    • The cost of the egg donation Illinois contract and process includes:

      • Family Source Consultants professional fee – $10,300
      • Donor compensation – $8000 to $10,000 per donation
      • Donor mental health evaluation – included in agency fee
      • Egg donor Illinois contract legal review – included in agency fee
      • Preparation of the legal contract for Intended Parents – included in agency fee
      • Escrow management service – included in agency fee
      • Egg donor insurance – included in agency fee
      • AMH Screening for First-Time Donor – included in agency fee
      • Travel and incidental expenses – $1,000 to $6,000, though the cost can be higher

The $10,300 fee is payable at the time that you reserve your donor.

The cost of IVF is separate and varies by clinic. The IVF cycle can range from $20,000 to $43,000, though embryo freezing and medications aren’t typically included, so the cost could be higher.

In general, the total cost of Florida surrogacy can range from $150,000 to $200,000 or more, depending on your unique situation.

Financial Assistance for Intended Parents

We recommend Prosper Healthcare Lending to help you navigate the financial aspects of surrogacy. They’ve provided loans totaling over $3 billion to help over 250,000 people realize their parenthood dreams.

Prosper understands the costs associated with surrogacy and the needs of families and individuals on this journey. Their loans include coverage of surrogacy expenses up to $100,000 with a repayment schedule of up to 84 months.

If your financial needs are less than $35,000, Prosper can give you an instant decision without a hard credit check that can affect your credit score.

Choosing a Surrogate Mother in Florida

We understand that choosing a surrogate and an egg donor can be a delicate and stressful process. We offer unlimited surrogate matching with only the best candidates based on your profile and theirs.

The information on the profile you’ll fill out will lead us to the person with the right attitude, temperament, and intellect. Our strict requirements for surrogates ensure that your potential surrogates will all be suitable candidates with great attitudes.

Our staff includes people who have intimate knowledge of the process, how it feels to go through it, and the joy at the end for everyone, especially the Intended Parents. They’re ready to help you find the best surrogate mother to start your journey.

TeamFSC is ready to guide you as you make this life-changing decision and celebrate with you every step of the way.

Choosing an Egg Donor

If you need an egg donor, Florida law recognizes the donation, so the legal process is a simple one that we’ll help you navigate. We want you to be able to focus on choosing the right donor, and we’re ready to help you do that, too.

We understand what a personal decision it is to choose someone who will provide half of your child’s genetics and biology. Our egg donor database can help you find donors based on whatever criteria are most important to you, whether it’s appearance, temperament, personality, ethnicity, or something else.

We provide detailed information about each donor so you can make the right choice for your family.

The Benefits of Becoming a Surrogate in Florida

If you’re considering becoming a Florida surrogate, we want to congratulate you on being willing to give someone the joy of parenthood. In return for this gift, you can expect financial compensation as well as the reward of bringing a new life into the world and helping Intended Parents start or grow their family.

Many people at Family Source Consultants have been surrogates and understand the journey you’re thinking about taking. We want to help you have the best surrogate experience possible!

An Overview of the Florida Surrogacy Process

Surrogacy is a six-step process:

  1. Surrogate intake
  2. Intended Parents and surrogate matching
  3. Medical screening
  4. Legal filings and paperwork
  5. Embryo transfer
  6. Pregnancy and birth

Please contact us to discuss the requirements for surrogates and the schedule of compensation you can expect if you become a surrogate. We’re ready to answer your questions and help you every step of the way on your journey to becoming a surrogate in Florida.

Start the Process of Becoming a Surrogate in Florida

As a first step, we make sure all candidates meet our surrogate requirements. You can quickly screen these requirements to be sure you qualify before you apply.

Our surrogates must:

  • Be a US resident
  • Be between 21 and 43 years of age
  • Be healthy, and not smoke cigarettes or use illegal drugs or substances
  • Have a healthy weight in proportion to her height, with a BMI of 33 or less
  • Live in a financially stable environment without government assistance
  • Live in an emotionally stable and healthy environment
  • Have carried and delivered a full-term pregnancy
  • Be currently raising a child (or have already raised a child)
  • Not be taking medication for depression or anxiety
  • Enjoy pregnancy and have a desire to help others start or grow their families

There are no exceptions to these requirements, and meeting them isn’t a guarantee you’ll be accepted as a surrogate. These requirements are only the first screening step.

If you meet these requirements, please fill out our Gestational Surrogate application. When we review your application and feel that you meet our qualifications, we’ll schedule a surrogate intake meeting.

What to Expect in Your Surrogate Intake Meeting

If you live close enough to Miami to meet us in person, we’ll schedule an in-person intake. If distance is a factor, we’re happy to schedule a video meeting instead. In both cases, we’ll discuss your application and every aspect of becoming a surrogate in Florida, including:

  • Your compensation
  • The required documents
  • An overview of the matching process
  • A background check on you and your partner
  • Psychological tests and screening for you and your partner
  • Access to your OB and delivery records
  • Getting a copy of your most recent pap smear results
  • The necessary OB clearance forms
  • Insurance information and an explanation of benefits

If we feel that you’re a great surrogate candidate and you’re ready to start, our team will make sure you know how to get the required documentation. You’ll be on your way to becoming a surrogate in Florida and making one or more Intended Parents very happy.

How Much Do Surrogates Earn in Florida?

Base compensation for Florida surrogacy  starts at $53,000. This amount is paid in ten monthly installments that start with the confirmation of a heartbeat.

This is the base amount you’ll earn, but other fees, benefits, and compensation are available, and any gifts the Intended Parents give you would also be extra. Some of the other compensation includes:

  • $500 stipend when you start injectable medications
  • $750 for an embryo transfer
  • $800 maternity clothing allowance
  • $200 per month to spend any way you wish
  • A $500,000 life insurance policy to protect your dependents
  • Full coverage of all medical bills
  • Legal and medical billing support
  • Support groups
  • $80 per week housekeeping allowance and lost wages compensation if you require bedrest
  • Travel expenses to and from the IVF clinic and coverage of lost wages

Other compensations you might receive include an $8,000 fee if you carry multiples, $2,500 if you deliver via C-section, and $500 fees for various things like a canceled cycle or invasive procedure.

Your matched Intended Parents may give you extra compensation and gifts, so we can’t accurately provide a final total.

Do Surrogates Get to Choose the Intended Parents?

Yes! Our matching process goes both ways. You and the Intended Parents both have to feel comfortable with each other.

We would never expect you to carry a child for an individual or couple that made you feel unsure or uneasy. We’ve made nearly 1,000 successful matches with our extensive profiles, interviews, and experience. We can find a great match for you, too.

How Family Source Consultants Supports Florida Surrogates

The CEO and President of FSC, Staci Swiderski, personally handles every match. Staci became a mother through surrogacy. She understands the surrogacy process in a way an outsider never could.

After matching, our Surrogacy Support Manager, Denise Conner, will contact you, ready to help. Denise was a surrogate mother and can answer your questions from real-life experience.

Why Choose Family Source Consultations for Your Surrogacy Journey?

Our CEO’s experience of becoming a parent through surrogacy led her to hire many people who have become parents this way or have been surrogate mothers. This passion for surrogacy gives our surrogacy agency the advantage of really understanding the process from both sides.

We know the importance of keeping Intended Parents and surrogates informed throughout the process. No one at FSC is just a client or a surrogate. We want to know you and understand you to create perfect matches and make surrogacy a fulfilling and beautiful process for everyone involved.

We love what we do, and we want you to love the surrogacy journey, too.

Are You Ready to Learn More About Surrogacy in Florida?

Here at Family Source Consultants, we’re ready to help you get started, whether you plan to be a Tampa surrogate, a surrogate in Orlando, or you’re located anywhere in the United States.

If you’re thinking of becoming a surrogate in Florida or you want to start the process of having a child through surrogacy, we can provide the surrogacy information you need to help you make an informed decision.

Let us help you start your life-changing surrogacy journey today!