The ABC’s of Colorado Surrogacy
We are excited for you to embark on this remarkable journey of becoming a surrogate mother. This sacrifice is one of love, connectedness, and courage. You get to help hopeful parents grow their families who otherwise could not have such a gift. You should be so proud, and we are happy to support you. You did not find pregnancy to be complicated. You enjoyed the feeling of carrying forth life into this world and look forward to doing it again. But this time, you want to help those who cannot get pregnant, and that is truly an incredible gift. Thank you for taking steps to find out how to get started. At Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado, our licensed agency commits to walking with you throughout your incredible journey, answering all of your questions, and supporting you in the process. Just like the ABCs, Colorado surrogacy is easier to understand with a bit of explaining.
If you need adoption help now, please call or text us at 303-670-4673 (HOPE) or visit us at Adoption Choices of Colorado.
A – Agencies
There is a network of surrogacy agencies across the country ready and willing to help you embark on this journey. Here at Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado, we equip you with the knowledge to find a plan and agency that works best for you and is nearest to you. We help match you with intended parents – an individual or couple – looking to grow their family whose values align with your mission and vice versa. We stand with you from start to finish and assure you that you have the tools you need to make this a more straightforward process with the least amount of complications possible during pregnancy. And if complications arise, we are here to help.
B – Becoming a Surrogate
Surrogacy can be confusing as the two most common types get confused for one another. Traditional Surrogacy is when the surrogate is the biological mother of the child. The egg came from the surrogate, and the sperm came from an intended parent or donor. As you can imagine, this caused a lot of heartaches and therefore has a worldwide ban. In today’s time, legal Surrogacy is gestational surrogacy. A gestational carrier is a surrogate that bears no relation to the child. The embryo is formed in a lab using the egg or sperm of an intended parent or donor. Then, the embryo is transferred to your uterus (feels like a regular pap smear) in hopes that it will implant and you carry to a full-term birth.
To become a surrogate mother, you would need to submit to a psychological evaluation, background checks, and provide proof of support, including a safe living environment, stable lifestyle, reliable transportation for doctor’s visits, US residency, and US citizen status.
C- Carrier Compensation
With such a great sacrifice, there is surrogate compensation. We are happy to inform you that through our agency, as a surrogate mother, you will receive compensation between $50k-$80k for your journey. The intended parents provide compensation, some support, health insurance, medical expenses, paternity clothes, healthy food, parking passes, and even child care compensation if you need it. Pregnancy can be a challenging time, and you are entitled to the utmost support from start to finish. You will not be alone.
D- Disqualifiers for Surrogacy
As with any vital endeavor, there are surrogate requirements that one must meet to qualify for becoming a surrogate mother. If you are younger than age 21 and older than age 39, you don’t qualify. Being a non-parent or being someone who has never carried a healthy pregnancy to full term will also disqualify you. Among other disqualifiers are:
- Not being a United States Citizen
- Not residing in the United States
- Having a BMI of over 30
- Having an STD
- Using illicit drugs
- Using government assistance or parenting a child on government assistance
- Being alcohol dependant
- Having suffered from postpartum depression
- Having a blood transfusion, tattoo, or piercing within one year of application
- Taking medication for mental health illness or history of mental health illness
Choosing to be a Part of Colorado Surrogacy
There are millions of people across the world who can’t give birth. They may be a same-sex couple, a male wanting to grow their family, or a female who cannot carry a child to full-term for whatever reason. But you understand the barriers that exist and want to bridge that gap for others. Perhaps you experienced infertility within your family or amongst your friends. Maybe you empathize with same-sex couples’ plight when wanting to grow their families and simply having no options if giving birth is not an option. You choose to be their champion, and we want to stand behind you. At Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado, we desire to match you with the intended parents who align with your mission, find you the compensation that meets your needs, and set up medical treatment to ensure a healthy birth. Contact us 24/7, and our committed staff will help you find a growing family to help build today.
If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy and want to learn more about your adoption options, contact Adoption Choices of Colorado by email, phone, or text: Email Us, Text us: 720-371-1099, Call us: 303-670-4673 (HOPE). If you are hoping to adopt, please contact us here.
Meet the Author: JaQueen loves learning because it helps her educate and give people choices. She is the youngest girl in a family of 8 adopted siblings who found a loving forever home. Like most marketers, she wears many hats: Certified Project Management Professional, Jr. Web Developer, SEO certified, Grant Proposal Writer, Consultant, Wellness Influencer, Content Creator, and Motivational Speaker with a Bachelor’s in Communication Arts. She created a wellness blog to motivate, write, and inspire in her spare time to teach about mental health, plant-based vegan nutrition, and fitness to help others find peace on their healing journey. Her hobbies include natural bodybuilding, mindfulness, trailblazing through nature, and creating content that resonates with people. She aspires to be a lifelong professional writer and speaker who saves lives through the power of knowledge. She states, “I think that when you find your way out of the darkness it becomes your responsibility to bring others to the light. So, I focus on healing. The rest will align.”
Stephanie joined the Adoption Choices family in 2014 as the Child Placement Supervisor. Her love for adoption began in first grade when she made friends with twins adopted from Vietnam. Her heart grew strong over the years for adopted children and ultimately led her to graduate school where she continued her focus to her dream of working in the adoption field. Stephanie earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver in 2001. Over the past 15 years, Stephanie has worked as a pregnancy counselor and as an adoptive parent counselor for foster care, international adoption and domestic adoption, writing hundreds of home studies for families, and helping build their forever families. Stephanie is married and has three boys ages 12, 9, and 5. Together with her family she enjoys riding bike, playing games, watching her three sons compete in their various sporting and musical activities and go on vacations.
Christy Ikeler, is our Executive Director and Birth Parent Director. Christy has been with Adoption Choices Team for 18 years, since opening the doors in 2002! Christy has a true passion for what she does and her true love is working with and helping each birth parent. Whether she is up all night on the phone talking with them, taking them to doctors appointments, out for their favorite treat, providing counseling or at the hospital during labor and delivery, Christy is very involved every step of the way. She has a contagious laugh and a spunky personality that our birth moms all can bond with and relate to. As an adoptive parent herself, adoption holds a very special place in her heart and she can relate on every level with both birth parents and adoptive parents. In her free time Christy loves spending time with her daughter, gardening, baking and taking vacations with her family. Christy is an excellent leader for our team at Adoption Choices and is truly one of a kind!! As Executive Director, Christy spends time with the staff, birth parents and adoptive families in order to ensure that the agency is running smoothly. She has placed a huge emphasis on community outreach and programs for birth parents. Christy loves the opportunity to lead the agency into a brighter future.
Ms. Mackenzie has built a successful counseling career over the past 20 years, supporting mothers and families, people of all ages and genders, students, community professionals and fellow clinicians. Liv values a diverse professional focus, including the entrepreneurial life of a sole proprietor, the evaluative process of certifying foster/adoptive homes, the insightful and mindful one-on-one one work with enthusiastic clients, and serving as an advocate for underserved populations. Liv is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds a BA in Pre-Law and Economics from American University, an MA in Counseling from Adams University and a certificate in Human Resource Management from Villanova University. Away from work you will find Liv spending time in nature, biking to the farmer’s market and adventuring with her family.
Catherine A. Madsen, joined the Adoption Choices family as legal counsel in 2013. Catherine is responsible for providing legal guidance to the Agency, training and updating staff on developments in adoption law and legislation, and program development. Catherine
Virginia Frank is an adoption attorney accredited since 1991 with the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Ms. Frank is a leader in the field of private adoption and has completed over 4,000 adoptions in her career. Ms. Frank has a law degree from Oklahoma City University and a BA in both Political Science and Communications from the University of Oklahoma.
Cassidie has been with Adoption Choices since 2015, she has her bachelors in Interdisciplinary Affairs with concentrations in both Sociology and Business Management. Cassidie has additional training in Victim Advocacy, foster care and has been working in women’s services for over 10 years. Cassidie has always had a heart for adoption and it was her career dream to work in adoption. She started off doing volunteer work for advocacy programs, adoption organizations and worked in High Risk Maternal Fetal Medicine through the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Cassidie is also blessed to have personally experienced an adoption of her own in 2012, completing her family of five! Cassidie loves what she does as a case worker from initial phone calls, meetings, doctor appointments, interaction with the adoptive families to delivery and counseling. Cassidie has a passion for those in need and strives to help make a difference in the lives of the people she meets. She is a firm believer in being kind, compassionate and open minded in all situations. “Unless you’ve walked in their shoes, there’s no place for judgment. A kind word or compliment can go a long way!” The bittersweet moments in adoption reminds Cassidie each and every time, why she loves what she does!