Over the past week, a steady stream of intended parents has contacted me saying they can no longer reach Surro Connections. Messages unanswered. Portals inactive. No explanations.
It’s utterly unacceptable. And it highlights a long-standing problem in this industry: too many agencies are allowed to operate without real oversight, transparent systems or external accountability. When things go wrong, it’s the parents and surrogates who pay the price. This has occurred in not only the US but recently also in Georgia, Argentina & Greece.
We need better standards than this
Whatever has happened inside Surro Connections, the impact is real. Families have told us they don’t know where their funds are, whether their embryos are safe or who is now responsible for their case. This agency is one amongst many which chose to hold clients’ escrow monies itself, rather than deposit them with a registered escrow agency.
These situations don’t just “happen”. They happen because parts of the industry still rely on personality driven agencies, informal structures and opaque financial setups. When an agency is motivated by growth rather than safeguarding, or when one or two people control too much of the process, families are left vulnerable the moment something cracks.
This is exactly why stronger networks, cross verification and shared oversight matter. Our Growing Connections network exists because agencies and clinics should not function in isolation. When organisations communicate, compare practices and hold each other to common standards, the entire system becomes safer. Situations like this are exactly what we are working to prevent.
For the parents affected
If you’re one of the families suddenly facing silence, I want to acknowledge how unsettling this must be. You placed trust in a process that is complex and emotionally charged, and being left without guidance in the middle of your journey is difficult.
Don’t rush into anything
It’s natural to feel pressure to act quickly in a confusing situation. And it can be tempting to sign with a new agency who makes promises to fix everything, especially for those who are in the middle of their journey. But you need to give yourself an extra moment to process what’s really happening so you can prioritise your next steps.
Here’s what you can do right now while you wait for answers:
- Contact your IVF clinic & US attorney
Clinics and your attorney can be a stable anchor point. They can confirm embryo status, donor information and any upcoming steps. This gives you something solid to work from. - Gather every document you have
Collect all contracts, receipts, emails, and payment confirmations. If the agency disappears, these documents are the only way to verify what has happened so far and help you plan your next steps. - Verify where your money actually went
Review receipts of what monies have been paid out and to what organisation - Get an independent read of your situation
If you’re unsure how to interpret what you’re hearing, or you need help mapping next steps, reach out for neutral guidance. - Stay Connected with Your Surrogate
If you’re already in the middle of your journey and your surrogate is pregnant, make contact with her as soon as you can. Keeping that connection steady is important right now. It helps her feel supported, and it gives you a clearer sense of whether appointments, payments and care have been maintained.
If you’ve been affected, please contact us. We can’t fix everything, but we’ll do our best to help you understand your options, reconnect with clinics, and stabilise your journey.
Where we go from here
This situation is still unfolding, but one thing is clear: the international surrogacy space needs more transparency and far stronger structural safeguards. We’ve had Surro Connections participate in our events in the past, just as we’ve hosted many agencies across the industry. But as with a handful of other providers who later let down intended parents what’s emerging now highlights a recurring problem that goes far beyond any one organisation. Agencies can present well publicly and still operate with internal weaknesses or practices that leave families exposed. This isn’t new to us and it’s one of the reasons we built the structures we have today.
Growing Connections is a B2B network created so agencies and clinics could have access to independent verification. Members meet regularly, share practices, address emerging issues and commit to common standards. The Verification pathway goes a step further, allowing participating organisations to be independently assessed against clear criteria. These safeguards were built precisely because families have been burned by agency failures before, and because the industry needs structures that make situations like this far less likely.
This industry is built on people’s dreams and children’s futures, and that comes with a responsibility to get it right. We will continue working with our partners through Growing Connections to push for better practices across the board.
If you’ve been affected by the recent issues with Surro Connections or any other provider, please don’t hesitate to reach out.