Membership - Surrogate Mothers

Potential Surrogate Mothers applying for Gold Membership are required to have an Information Session with one of our experienced Mediators. Surrogacy UK will contact the Surrogate Mother to arrange a mutually convenient appointment at the Surrogate's own home.

During this initial Information Session, all membership requirements will be discussed and explained in detail with the applicants and their questions answered in as much depth as they require. Explanations of the legal, medical and criminal records checks and requirements will also be explained and help will be available to those who request it in order to complete the relevant forms.

Where a Surrogate applicant has a partner/husband, he/she must be present during this session.

Surrogate Mothers and their partner/husband are required to have a Criminal Record check known as "Basic Disclosure". Advice on obtaining this check will be available during the Information Session. Surrogacy UK will pay for this check on behalf of the applicant/s.

STI tests are required for those applicants who wish to take part in a Straight Surrogacy arrangement.

CMV status is required for those applicants who wish to take part in a Host Surrogacy arrangement (Surrogate Mothers only).

Advice on how to obtain these tests will be available during the Information Session. Surrogacy UK will pay for these checks on behalf of the applicant.

Having completed the membership requirements the applicants’ status is changed to that of a Gold member and they will then receive the full benefits of Gold Membership.

Membership charges - Surrogate Mothers

Gold Membership is FREE to Surrogate Mothers.

Telephone support is available for the term of the membership, until such time as a Parental Order is issued.

There is a £10 administration fee for retired Surrogate members. This fee allows the retired Surrogate member to continue receiving the newsletter and to continue to receive Gold member benefits.

Access to 'Members Only' areas of the message board will be withdrawn from retired surrogates who do not retain membership benefits by paying this administration fee.

Membership - Intended Parents

Gold Membership for Intended Parents is £600 for one year. If, after this time you have not completed a surrogacy arrangement or are still actively seeking a Surrogate Mother there is a charge of £50 per year until your surrogacy arrangement has been completed. Thereafter, the annual renewal fee is £25.

Potential Intended Parents must submit their completed application form, paperwork and membership fee to the Membership Secretary. Surrogacy UK will then contact the Intended Parents to arrange a mutually convenient appointment for an Information Session.

During this Information Session, all aspects of Surrogacy will be discussed and explained in detail. Both Intended Parents must be present for this Information Session.

All Intended Parents must provide Surrogacy UK with a letter from their GP/consultant to confirm that they are healthy and fit enough to bring up a child and the letter must state why the Intended Mother cannot carry a child.

The Intended Father must provide results from a semen analysis test. See page 23 of the "Guide to Surrogacy" for details of the tests required and recommended.

STI tests are required for those applicants who wish to take part in a straight surrogacy arrangement. See page 22 of the "Guide to Surrogacy" onwards for details.

CMV status is required for those applicants who wish to take part in a host surrogacy arrangement.

A Criminal Record check is required for both Intended Parents known as "Basic Disclosure" (please see www.disclosure.scotland.co.uk) Alternatively, a police check can be obtained through your local Police Station.

Having completed the membership requirements the applicants’ status is changed to that of a Gold member and they will then receive the full benefits of Gold Membership.

Membership charges - Intended Parents

All Intended Parents must first submit a payment of £600 made payable to Surrogacy UK.

Telephone support is available for the term of the membership, until such time as a Parental Order is issued.

Where Intended Parents wish to increase their family by entering into a second Surrogacy Arrangement, after the birth of their first baby, they will be required to pay an update fee of £200, this is only available to those who have remained as fully paid up members during the interim period of time between surrogacies.

Those whose membership has lapsed and then wish to increase their family will be required to join as a new member, by undergoing the normal new member process and paying the relevant fees and charges as such.

Gold Membership

Having completed a Membership Application, submitted all the required documentation and received an Information Session, applicants will achieve Surrogacy UK Gold Membership status.

As a Gold Member you will have access to the following facilities:

• Message board access to public and private forums
• Surrogate Mothers and Intended Parents have access to a Support Worker who has completed a Surrogacy Arrangement. Members have the option of either receiving monthly calls from a Support Worker or alternatively they can contact the Support Worker or one of the Surrogacy UK Mediators as and when the need arises.
• Newsletter (tri-annual).
• Gold Members can attend Conferences at a reduced cost to Non-Members.
• Surrogacy workshops: These sessions are held at Conferences approximately 3 times per year and give Intended Mothers, Surrogate Mothers and their partners the opportunity to ask questions and talk about surrogacy issues in greater detail.
• Information session: This session is compulsory and aims to explain all aspects of surrogacy and prepare those involved for the journey ahead.
• Agreement session: This session is also compulsory and aims to ensure that all issues involved in a Surrogacy Arrangement have been fully discussed and understood. A Surrogacy UK Mediator will witness the Agreement.
• Mediation: Should a Surrogacy Arrangement break down, Surrogacy UK would hope to be able to offer mediation until an acceptable conclusion is reached by all parties involved.
• Help and advice to find a Surrogate Mother/Intended Parents

Agreement Session

After a period of getting to know each other, and if all parties wish to enter into a Surrogacy Arrangement, then an Agreement Session will take place. Agreement sessions are mediated by one of our Mediators. Without an Agreement Session Surrogacy UK cannot be sure that every point has been discussed and understood fully by all parties involved, therefore without having an Agreement Session Surrogacy UK would not be able to fully support your surrogacy arrangement. Some points that are discussed at an Agreement Session can be difficult to consider and by having a Mediator present she can ensure that some very important issues have been fully discussed and that no-one involved has agreed to something that they are not 100% comfortable with just to please the others involved.

As an organisation Surrogacy UK has no interest in your arrangements for covering expenses, however as expenses are a possible point of contention the Mediator will discuss finances to ensure that everyone is fully aware of the expenses involved in a surrogacy arrangement.

The Information and Agreement Sessions are compulsory. Members who fail to have these sessions will have their membership terminated with no refund of their membership fee, and membership would revert to that of being a non-member and registered user of the public message board.

Additional Mediation

If a surrogacy arrangement was failing in some manner, Surrogacy UK, as an organisation would hope to be able to mediate it to an acceptable conclusion for everyone involved.

If a Gold Member Surrogate finds Intended Parents whom she wishes to help who are not Gold Members, we would encourage her to ask the Intended Parents to join as Gold Members, in order that both she and the Intended Parents can receive support and information. If a Gold Member Surrogate chooses to help Intended Parents who do not wish to become Gold Members then her membership reverts to that of being a registered user of the message board and non member.

Surrogate mothers please note: We respectfully request that a Surrogate does not offer her assistance to a couple until she is in the position to carry out her promise. Misunderstood suggestions and broken promises hurt Intended Parents deeply. It may be preferable for a Surrogate who wishes to offer help to a couple to approach Surrogacy UK in order that the subject can be gently broached with the couple first. This may prevent the possibility of the Surrogate feeling rejected, if the offer is not accepted for any reason by the couple.

If Gold Member Intended Parents find a Surrogate who is not a Gold Member we would hope that they would encourage the Surrogate to join the organisation in order that she would receive the support that other Surrogates receive. If the Surrogate Mother did not want to join Surrogacy UK as a Gold Member then the Intended Parents membership would revert to that of being a registered user of the public message board and non-member with no refund of their Surrogacy UK membership fee.

Intended Parents please note: We respectfully request that Intended Parents do not ask a surrogate mother directly to be their Surrogate. This puts the surrogate mother in the unenviable position of possibly having to say no. Please wait for a potential Surrogate Mother to offer to help you.