28 Dec When Should I Choose Surrogacy Over Adoption?
At Same Love Surrogacy, our founders, principals, and support staff all have intricate knowledge of both the surrogacy journey and alternative family building options like adoption, because we have all either been in the direct role of intended parents, surrogates, or donors, or have considered adoption as an alternative.
When individuals or couples are unable to start or grow their families on their own, due to physical constraints like medical difficulties, infertility, failed IVF attempts, same-sex relationships, or single parenthood, they often seek alternatives to having a baby.
That can include researching or pursuing two popular options: The surrogacy process or adoption.
Whether you are weighing one or both options, the decision to start or expand your family through alternative methods is deeply personal. However, knowing the facts behind each option may help you make an informed decision about successfully choosing the path to parenthood that is right for you.
What is the Difference Between the Surrogacy Process and Adoption?
The surrogacy process is a legal arrangement where a person(s) who will become the child’s parent(s) after a woman, called the surrogate, agrees to carry and deliver a child.
Adoption is a legal arrangement where a person or partners assume the legal role(s) of parent(s) from the biological or legal parent(s).
Are There Similarities Between the Surrogacy Process and Adoption?
The distinct similarity between the surrogacy process and adoption is the outcome of making a person or partners parents.
Other similarities include three key aspects of successfully completing either process:
- The importance of partnering with a professional surrogacy or adoption agency.
The benefits of using a surrogacy agency are very similar to the advantages of applying for a child with an adoption agency: All the planning, evaluations, and matches are handled by the organization, so you do not have to become a medical, financial, or legal expert to complete the process.
The difference is, when you pursue the surrogacy process, you can control who the egg donor and/or surrogate is by undergoing an extensive matching process.
With adoption, although you may list some preferences, like race, it is up to the biological mother to choose who adopts her child.
- Referrals for attorneys who focus on the legal practice areas of the surrogacy process or adoption law.
At Same Love Surrogacy, we provide referrals for attorneys who specialize in the surrogacy process, so the agreement is legally binding between the intended parents, egg donors, and surrogates from the matching process through the birth of the child(ren).
When you are pursuing adoption, the adoption agency may refer you to an attorney or you can find one on your own. And although they will prepare the legal paperwork to finalize the adoption, the birth mother can change her mind at any time throughout the process.
- Understanding the financial obligations associated with the surrogacy process or adoption costs.
Before engaging in the surrogacy or adoption process, the intended or adoptive parent(s) must understand the financial obligations that accompany their decision.
The financial requirements for surrogacy may include agency fees, egg donor, surrogate, and intended parent medical screenings, compensation and expenses for each party, IVF clinic and medical expenses, health insurance, and delivery expenses, which require some intended parents to seek financing options.
Adoption budgets cover the fixed costs of case management and the variable expenses for living, medical, and legal fees for all parties involved.
Choose the Parenting Path that Fits Your Unique Needs
Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to when you should choose surrogacy over adoption, as each requires prospective parents to weigh the pros and cons of the surrogacy process versus the adoption process using their unique circumstances as a barometer for which option is right for them.
If you have questions about the surrogacy process, contact us to learn more about our agency’s precise approach to growing families in California and Oregon, or read the frequently asked questions intended parents ask to start gathering the information you need to make an informed decision about becoming parents.
