Apply to Become a Surrogate in Illinois
Thank you for your interest in surrogacy! Surrogacy is an amazing journey that takes the dream of parenthood and makes it a reality for so many loving individuals and couples. Illinois is a very friendly state for surrogacy, with growing families working with surrogates from Chicago, Aurora, Joliet, Naperville, and all around the Prairie State. We at Reproductive Possibilities warmly welcome you to this journey and invite those who are interested in becoming surrogates to learn more.
Your Guide to Becoming a Illinois Surrogate
We’ve outlined everything that a potential gestational surrogate in Illinois needs to know below. Please review all of our outlined information before submitting your online surrogate application in order to help ensure you are a good fit for our program.
- Surrogacy in Illinois
- Surrogate Requirements in Illinois
- Surrogate Compensation in Illinois
- How Surrogates Match with Parents
- Benefits of Being an Illinois Surrogate
- How to Become a Surrogate in Illinois
Surrogacy in Illinois
Illinois is known as one of America’s most surrogacy-friendly states, with laws that clearly define and protect the rights of all involved parties. The Illinois Gestational Surrogacy Act clears a straightforward path for surrogates and their intended parents for a smooth journey.
What is Surrogacy?
Gestational surrogacy refers to when a woman carries a child on behalf of a couple or individual. The surrogate is not the child’s biological mother as she and the baby do not share any genetic connection. The egg which will be combined with sperm to create the embryo will come from either the intended parent(s) or donors. This embryo is then transferred to the surrogate’s uterus which, if successful, will lead to a pregnancy.How does surrogacy work in Illinois?
Surrogacy arrangements are legal in the state of Illinois. Illinois surrogacy law does not interfere with the rights of the surrogate nor the rights of the intended parents, with all parties being legally supported.
Surrogate Requirements in Illinois
Our surrogacy program has a number of surrogate requirements that must be met before your application is accepted. These requirements are in place to ensure the health and safety of every surrogate and child carried.
If you have questions about any of our requirements, we encourage you to please connect with our team directly. You can view a list of initial requirements below:
- Must have given birth before (with less than three c-sections and no medical complications)
- Be between the ages of 21 and 44 years old (exceptions may be made for experienced surrogates)
- Have a BMI of 18-33
- Be a non-smoker
The Reproductive Possibilities team will closely review each application. If we find that you meet our criteria, you will be accepted into our surrogacy program. The next step in this process is to be matched with intended parents and begin the surrogacy journey.
Surrogate Pay in Illinois
Gestational surrogacy arrangements include surrogate compensation. Surrogates are paid for the time and efforts needed to complete their pregnancy. This process requests a considerable mental, physical, and emotional ask of each surrogate, so compensation is designed to meet these requests. For example, in Illinois, a surrogate can expect to earn between $55,000 and $60,000. This range includes your base pay, plus benefits and expenses. A single fetus can earn a surrogate mother $35,000, and in the event of multiples, each fetus can earn $5,000.
Due to their experience, women who have already had a successful surrogacy will generally receive higher compensation.
How Illinois Surrogates and Parents Are Matched
Entrance into our surrogacy program requires first completing an application online, finishing the screening process, and being accepted into the program. After all of this has taken place, it is time to get matched with your intended parents. The Reproductive Possibilities team has worked hard to create a matching process that helps ensure a high-quality connection between each surrogate and her intended parents.
Matching begins with Reproductive Possibilities asking each party a series of questions to learn their preferences. An example here includes asking surrogates if they have a preference as to the type of intended parent(s) they’d like to work with. Fortunately, we work with many loving, deserving intended parents who would be happy to match with a surrogate anywhere in the Prairie State.
Once a potential match has been made, the Reproductive Possibilities team will organize a conference between the surrogate and the intended parents where the following will be discussed:
- Family and support systems
- Preferred forms of communication
- How often? Which form of communication is best?
- Willingness to carry multiples, reduce, and/or terminate a pregnancy, etc.
- Yes or no to multiples, and if no, what is the plan moving forward?
If an agreement is made across the above points, then a match has been made!
The Reproductive Possibilities team will continue to facilitate communication between you and your intended parents in the months to come.
To learn more, visit our surrogacy process page for surrogate mothers.
Are you an intended parent looking to get matched with a surrogate in Illinois? Visit our Intended Parents page to get started.
Benefits of Becoming a Surrogate in Illinois
How to Become a Surrogate in Illinois
The first step is to complete an online application to see if you are a good fit for our surrogacy program. The application will ask you to provide details about your personal and medical histories. The Reproductive Possibilities team evaluates every application on a case-by-case basis, and if we find that you meet our requirements, then you’ll be accepted into the program.
Once accepted, we’ll continue to reach out to you directly to have a series of discussions about your medical history, criminal history, etc. Of course, should you have any questions at any stage in the process, we’ll be happy to connect.