Growing Families Provider Verification
Ensuring Trust, Transparency, and Professional Standards
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Building strong partnerships with surrogacy and donor IVF providers is essential for supporting intended parents effectively and safely. Our Provider Verification Program is designed to recognise and highlight organisations that are committed to high standards of professionalism and transparency.
Verification is a mark of trust, signalling to intended parents and partners that your organisation adhere to accepted best practices in the space.
Why Verification Matters
Joining the Growing Families Verified Provider Program demonstrates your commitment to:
Professional excellence – showing you operate according to recognised best practices.
Transparency and accountability – providing clear, documented standards of service.
Trustworthiness – giving intended parents confidence when choosing who to work with.
Verification helps you stand out in a crowded market, strengthens your credibility, and opens opportunities to collaborate with Growing Families in referrals, content initiatives, and events.
Benefits of Being Verified
Verified Providers gain:
Recognition and credibility
Show clients and partners you meet Growing Families’ high standards.
Direct introduction to intended parents
Be introduced to intended parents seeking verified providers (view how introductions work)
Opportunities for collaboration
Participate in content collaboration, events, webinars, and other partnership initiatives with Growing Families.
Networking within a trusted global network
Connect with other verified providers committed to high standards of practice.
How the Verification Process Works
Our process is structured, rigorous, and designed to ensure that verified providers meet recognised standards of professionalism and transparency:
Growing Connections Membership
Before providers can be verified, they join Growing Connections, our professional membership network. Membership gives you access to industry insights, educational resources, and networking opportunities.
Submission for Verification
Verification requires submitting a verification form and supporting materials, which may include:
Organisation background, experience, and staffing
Surrogate screening and support practices
Operational policies and client protections, including insurances and complaint mechanisms
Relevant licenses, accreditations, or internal codes of practice
Fee schedules and references from past clients
This ensures a transparent and comprehensive assessment of your organisation’s practices. Verification requirements will vary depending on the type of provider and the services you offer.
Independent Review and Badge
Our team conducts an independent review against recognised standards of professionalism and transparency. Only providers who meet all criteria are granted the Verified Provider Badge, which is visible to intended parents and partners as a mark of trust.
Ongoing Oversight
Verification is not permanent. We continually monitor performance, seek feedback, and reassess providers to ensure standards remain consistently high.
Assessment Criteria
Growing Families’ verification process evaluates providers against a consistent set of standards focusing on professionalism, transparency, and use of accepted best practices. Each verified provider is reviewed based on information they supply, supporting documentation where possible, and independently obtained feedback from recent clients.
The criteria for assessment were developed in consultation with human rights and fertility law experts, including Natalie Gamble (UK), Ana Miramontes (Spain), Kim Surratt (USA), Liz Schwartz (USA), Jamie Gher (USA), Sarah Bevan (Australia), Sara Cohen (Canada), Maria Vastaroucha (Greece), and Olga Danchenko (Ukraine).
The below outlines the criteria on which providers are assessed. Verification involves reviewing information submitted by the provider, as well as supporting documentation such as licences, sample client agreements, cost schedules and owner background checks. Some criteria rely primarily on provider-submitted information, while others are verified against documentation or independently obtained client feedback.
| Assessment Criteria | What We’re Looking For |
|---|---|
| Country of Operation | Only programs in countries which have a proven track record of responsible surrogacy practice and with laws or court rulings that allow foreigners to engage |
| Years of Operation | Minimum of three years of continuous operation |
| Organisational Details | Provides verifiable documentation such as company registration, licences and business address |
| Ownership, governance, and conflicts of interest | Clearly identifies ownership and governance structure, discloses any potential conflicts of interest, and outlines safeguards in place to protect intended parents’ interests. |
| Client-to-staff ratio | Transparency around client numbers and capacity |
| Cost Transparency | Clearly discloses program fees, inclusions, exclusions, and potential additional costs |
| Risk management and insurance | Holds appropriate insurance coverage and financial protections relevant to their jurisdiction. |
| Agency Contracts | Clearly outline roles and responsibilities of all parties, expected timelines, payment milestones, exclusions, possible additional costs, refund policies and provisions in case of issues such as failed transfers, miscarriage and surrogate withdrawal |
| IP Screening | Details how they assess readiness, financial and psychological capacity of intended parents. |
| Surrogate Recruitment | If recruitment is outsourced, the provider must disclose details of the third-party organisation |
| Surrogate match times | To allow IP expectations to be set at outset |
| Surrogate Screening | Screening includes psychological suitability, motivation and reliability |
| Surrogate Compensation | Clearly states surrogate compensation and payment milestones within contracts |
| Surrogate Accommodation | Surrogates must not be required to live away from their families unless by personal choice |
| Use of Travelling Surrogates | Limits the use of travelling surrogates and requires transparency around when and why they are used. |
| Surrogate–IP Introductions | Facilitates introductions between intended parents and surrogates upon request |
| Surrogate Monitoring | Conducts at least monthly check-ins during pregnancy |
| Psychological Support | Provides surrogates with access to qualified psychological support as required |
| Communications, Responsiveness & Data Governance | Timely, clear and supportive communication throughout the process; provides details on how records are created, stored, retained and transferred |
| Client Feedback | Must be from clients who engaged within the last year. |
Note: The criteria outlined here represents the core areas we assess when verifying providers. Our internal review process includes additional documentation checks, legal and insurance verification, and jurisdiction-specific requirements that are not listed in full here. Verification is contextual, ongoing, and subject to change as laws and practices evolve.
| Assessment Criteria | What We’re Looking For |
|---|---|
| Country of Operation | Clinics in countries with well-regulated fertility services and legal frameworks for IVF, including services for intended parents using surrogacy |
| Organisational Details | Verifiable registration, licences, and physical address |
| Experience with Surrogacy & Donor IVF Cases | Demonstrated experience managing IVF cycles for intended parents using surrogacy or donor IVF, including coordination with agencies and legal teams |
| Transparency with Pricing | Clear disclosure of IVF package costs, medication/lab fees, additional procedures (e.g., ICSI, PGD), and payment milestones |
| Treatment Contracts / Consent Forms | Clearly outline procedures, roles and responsibilities, timelines, refund policies, and protocols for failed cycles |
| Patient Support | Access to counselling, psychological support, and guidance throughout the IVF journey |
| Treatment Timelines & Success Rates | Provides realistic timelines and, where possible, age/donor-specific success rates |
| Client Feedback | Feedback from patients treated within the last year |
Note: IVF clinics operate in a highly regulated environment, so clinical quality is generally assured. These criteria focus on experience with surrogacy cases, transparency, and patient support, which are critical differentiators for intended parents.
| Assessment Criteria | What We’re Looking For |
|---|---|
| License | Licensed to practice in relevant jurisdiction(s) |
| Organisational Details | Verified law firm registration, physical address, and professional memberships or equivalent |
| Experience with Surrogacy and Donor IVF Cases | Demonstrated experience advising intended parents, surrogates, and clinics, including drafting/reviewing contracts, handling legal compliance, and coordinating with agencies or medical teams |
| Transparency with Fees | Clear fee structure, including retainer, hourly rates, and potential additional costs |
| Communication & Responsiveness | Timely, clear, and supportive communication throughout the process |
| Client Feedback | Feedback from clients served within the last year |
Note: Fertility and surrogacy lawyers operate in a highly regulated, professional space. These criteria focus on experience with surrogacy and donor IVF cases, transparency, and client support, which are the key differentiators for intended parents.
| Assessment Criteria | What We’re Looking For |
|---|---|
| Screening Standards | Demonstrates comprehensive medical, genetic, and psychological screening with documentation of testing protocols |
| Transparency of Donor Information | Provides clear, accurate donor profiles including medical history, education, and motivation, while complying with privacy laws |
| Ethical and Legal Compliance | Operates in line with regulations on donor anonymity, compensation, documentation, and gamete export in their country of operation |
| International Coordination* | If operating outside of their country, must provide proof of experience working with overseas clinics and facilitating cross-border shipments or matches |
| Pricing and Contract Clarity | Transparent fees, inclusions, and refund or replacement policies |
| Assessment Criteria | What We’re Looking For |
|---|---|
| Experience | Proven track record transporting embryos or gametes for intended parents, clinics, and donors for at least 3 years |
| Reliability & Tracking | Provides real-time tracking, clear communication, and contingency plans for delays or emergencies |
| Pricing Transparency | Clear pricing, including shipping, insurance, and handling fees |
| Regulatory Compliance & Safety | Follows all legal, medical, and biosafety regulations, including storage and temperature control |
Note: Cryoshippers operate in a highly regulated space. These criteria focus on experience, compliance, reliability, and transparency, which are the key factors for intended parents.
Limitations
Verification is granted when a provider demonstrates alignment with our assessment criteria. Yearly review is required. However, verification does not represent accreditation or endorsement, and it cannot guarantee outcomes.
We rely on provider-supplied information, interviews, documentation, and independently obtained client feedback. While we also consider public feedback and complaints, we cannot investigate every review or claim. Instead, we focus on how providers have responded to complaints, their openness in communication and their willingness to address problems.
Our criteria and review processes may evolve as the industry develops and new standards emerge. Verification status is periodically reviewed but not monitored in real time.
Surrogacy journeys can be fraught with emotional highs and lows, and much is at stake. If you come across credible negative reviews of a provider online, you can raise this with providers. We are also keen to be alerted to negative reviews to assist in ongoing evaluation.
Get Started
If you’re a surrogacy or donor IVF provider interested in verification, your first step is to join Growing Connections. Once a member, you can submit your verification form and begin the process to earn the Verified Provider Badge.
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