During the process of becoming a surrogate, each woman will go through several types of screening as part of the surrogate process before she is given medical clearance by the fertility clinic(s) to move forward. Aside from the medical portions of screening like blood work or a psychological evaluation, each woman will typically have a “home visit” as well.

A home visit is completed by a private social worker in your area. They will contact you directly to set a time to meet with you and your family, in your home setting. During this visit, the social worker will want to spend some time talking to you and your family and will also do a walk-through of your home to ensure that it is a safe and healthy environment.

The social worker will want to chat you up a bit and really get to know you. They only have a short time to be with you so don’t be afraid to overshare! They will want to know about your daily routine, your kids’ lives and activities, and the support system you have in place for a journey like this. If you have a partner or significant other, they will want to ensure that they are fully on board and supportive of you becoming a surrogate because that support is invaluable. We require that all of our surrogates have a strong support network that will be available throughout the journey.

Upon arrival to your neighborhood, the social worker may take a drive around and make notes on your environment (live on a main street, cul-de-sac, rural, urban, suburban, etc.). At your home, typically they will do a quick scan of your outside property first; mainly looking for any standing water, uncovered/ungated pools, or trash/debris. Any vehicles on the property should have active and up to date insurance, inspections, and registrations as well.

Some basic safety measures that they are hoping to see in the home are baby proofing of any major appliances and cleaning chemicals if there are young children in the home, working and active fire and carbon dioxide detectors. (And a fire extinguisher!). If you own guns and keep them in your home, they must be kept in a locked safe, out of reach of ANY children.

There is no need to be nervous about this! The social workers conducting these visits work with families so kids, messes, and the Paw Patrol theme song don’t scare them! ?

Be calm, be honest, and be positive!

If you are interested in becoming a surrogate, but haven’t filled out the surrogate application yet, you can do so today to get the process started!