What Are the Legal and Medical Requirements for Intended Parents in Colorado?
If you are interested in becoming a surrogate, then chances are you have done a lot of research as to what your role and responsibilities are during the Colorado surrogacy process. You may wonder what the responsibilities look like for the intended parents you are matched with.
We know how big of an undertaking and how emotional, complex, and rewarding this journey can be. That’s why at Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado, we want to provide you with some information as to what intended parents’ roles look like and their responsibilities.
If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a surrogate, please call or text us at 303-670-4673 (HOPE) or visit us at Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado.
Who Are Intended Parents?
As a quick reminder, intended parents are individuals or couples that cannot conceive on their own, whatever that reason may be. Instead, they choose to use surrogacy as a way to build their family, and that’s where your important role comes into play.
There are a variety of intended parents who pursue surrogacy:
- Heterosexual couples who are struggling with conceiving
- Intended mothers who are medically unable to carry a child for a variety of health or medical reasons.
- Intended parents who have a health or genetic condition they do not want to pass onto their child
- Same-sex intended parents who want to have a genetic link to their baby
- The list goes on!
What Are the General Intended Parent Requirements?
In some ways, intended parents’ requirements parallel yours, and in others, they differ. If intended parents are interested in pursuing the surrogacy process, then they must fill the requirements at Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado, such as:
- Be willing to complete a background check and psychological evaluation and not have a criminal record
- Be able to pass a physical examination
- Be financially secure and in a stable living arrangement
- Have the support of their partner if applicable or close friends and family
- Be respectful of you and your time and commitment
- Be willing and prepared to have conversations about their goals for the surrogacy process
- Have an understanding of the gestational surrogacy process
- Being able to complete their paperwork on time
What Are the Medical Requirements for Intended Parents?
They also have to pass an intensive screening program such as psychological and physical examinations like you. This is to make sure they are physically and emotionally ready for the demands of parenthood.
They also can not be drug or alcohol dependent and must come from a stable home. While their medical requirements are not as specific as yours, they have intensive legal responsibilities, especially when it comes to finances.
What Are the Legal Requirements for Intended Parents?
When it comes to the legal aspect, both you and intended parents must find attorneys to go over all the legal paperwork. Again, this is to make sure everyone is on the same page and you are all in agreement as to what everyone’s responsibilities look like.
Intended parents or parents have the responsibility of cost and financing for surrogacy. Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado help ensure everyone enjoys their surrogacy journey, and costs can look different for everyone depending on their situation.
Intended parents have a responsibility to pay throughout the whole surrogacy process. This includes the IVF process, surrogacy journey, and newborn costs. This can include, but is not limited to:
- Before surrogacy process:
- Medical IVF expenses
- Professional fees
- Pharmaceutical fees
- Donor fees (if applicable in case of individual intended parents)
- Surrogacy journey:
- Surrogacy program costs
- Gestational surrogate fee
- Lawyer fees
- IVF medical fees for screening you
- Appointments related to surrogacy fees
- Insurance expenses
- Newborn costs
- Hospital fees
- Life after going home with a newborn!
Surrogacy Process for You and Intended Parents
The surrogacy process can be a rewarding and beautiful shared experience for you and the intended parents you are matched with. Both of you are bonded throughout the journey over the wellbeing of the child you carry.
You and your intended parents have an intensive screening process to ensure everyone is prepared for surrogacy. During this process, you as the surrogate mother have different responsibilities than that of the intended parents you are matched with.
At Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado, we are here to make sure everyone is stress-free and enjoys the journey! We also know how important a decision this is for you and how important it is to be informed about all the different parts of the surrogacy process before you begin. We hope to make your life a little easier by compiling some information for you so you can make informed decisions.
If you are interested in learning more about your gestational surrogacy options, contact Adoption and Surrogacy 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: Katie Doherty is a junior Writing, Literature, and Publishing major at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. She loves to write, read, and edit, whether it’s technical or creative writing. Although she enjoys writing poetry, narrative nonfiction, and fiction writing, she also loves to write on current political events, cultural trends, and research. She spends her free time listening to music, watching the Great British Bake Off, and learning how to crochet.
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!