Why verification matters
Surrogacy is not a single decision. It is a series of decisions made over time, often across borders, legal systems, and medical frameworks. Intended parents are asked to place an enormous amount of trust in professionals they may never meet in person. That trust has real consequences, emotionally, financially and legally.
Over the years, we’ve seen how small gaps in information, unclear expectations or misaligned values can create stress later in a journey. Verification is not about finding the “best” provider on paper. It is about reducing avoidable risk and helping intended parents make informed decisions with clearer eyes.
How our verification criteria came to be
Our verification criteria were not built in a boardroom or created all at once. They were shaped gradually, through years of conversations with intended parents, agencies, clinics, lawyers and surrogates across multiple countries.
As our work expanded across jurisdictions, it became clear that no single perspective was sufficient. Legal frameworks shift, medical standards evolve and what is considered best practice in one country may be inadequate or even risky in another. To ensure we were asking the right questions and assessing the right risks, we appointed a committee of independent lawyers and experts from around the world to help refine and challenge our criteria.
This committee helps us pressure-test assumptions, identify blind spots, and ensure that our standards reflect real-world considerations, not just historical experience. In many cases, updates to our criteria have come directly from their insights into regulatory changes, emerging risks, or recurring issues they see in practice.
Some elements of the criteria came from things that regularly go awry for families. Others came from providers who consistently did things well and were willing to explain why. What ties it together is that the criteria is built on lived experience, expert input, and ongoing review, not static rules or marketing claims.
As surrogacy frameworks continue to change and new destinations emerge, this process remains active. Our criteria is revisited, refined, and questioned regularly, because what mattered five or ten years ago is not always enough today.
What we look at when we verify providers
Verification is never based on a single factor. We look at how providers operate in practice, not just how they present themselves.
This includes experience within specific legal frameworks, transparency around costs and timelines, clarity in communication, and how risks are explained rather than minimised. We also pay close attention to how providers work with other professionals in the journey, and how they respond when challenges arise. Review our assessment criteria here.
Importantly, verification is ongoing. A provider being suitable for one family, or at one point in time, does not automatically mean they are suitable for everyone.
What this means for intended parents
For intended parents, our verification criteria are not meant to remove all uncertainty. Surrogacy will always involve complexity and variables that cannot be fully controlled.
What it does aim to do is narrow the field, highlight meaningful differences between options, and ensure that recommendations are based on substance rather than marketing. It also means that when we introduce a provider, we can explain not just who they are, but why they may or may not be the right fit for a particular situation. See how professional introductions work here.
Building families is deeply personal. Our responsibility is to treat that with the care it deserves. If you have any questions about our verification process, assessment criteria, or a specific provider, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
