Adoption or Surrogacy in California [Which is Right for Your Family?]

There is a lot for hopeful families to consider when deciding between adoption and surrogacy in California after infertility. Though either choice will result in life’s most precious gift, the journeys getting to that point are vastly different.

Adoption and surrogacy in California, and around the United States, are both rewarding experiences that allow prospective parents to start, grow or complete their families. Although they share many similarities, each has its own unique process, benefits and challenges.

Below are the four major differences between surrogacy vs. adoption in California. Each prospective family should consider these as they decide which path to parenthood is right for them.

If you have more specific questions about adoption vs. surrogacy in California, then you can contact us online to get free information now.

1. Adoption vs. Surrogacy in California: Compensation and Costs

Both adoption and surrogacy in California involve many services, professionals and fees, including:

• Program and agency fees

• Advertising expenses

• Living expenses

• Legal costs

• And medical expenses

In addition to these costs, intended parents compensate most surrogates for their time, health and sacrifices they make throughout the pregnancy.

Surrogates often receive a base compensation that varies based on their experience level with surrogacy. But, the compensation in California typically ranges from $45,000 to $60,000. Keep in mind, however, that these costs can vary on case-by-case basis. This compensation is paid in monthly installments to cover items such as:

• Maternity clothes

• Travel expenses

• Meals

• Insurance co-pays

• And more.

In adoption, laws prohibit prospective birth mothers from financially benefitting from an adoption plan. But, like surrogacy, hopeful adoptive parents will pay for the expenses listed above. Prospective birth mothers do not receive base compensation though.

In surrogacy, compensation and the embryo transfer process can make it significantly more expensive than adoption — sometimes more than twice as much.

2. Adoption vs. Surrogacy in California: Matching Process

When working with an adoption professional, adoptive parents get to choose the types of adoption situations they are seeking, including:

• Post-placement contact with the birth parents

• Race of the baby

• Social and medical history

• And more

At the same time, the prospective birth mother will be creating their adoption plan. For instance, they get to choose:

• The type of adoption they want

• The right adoptive family for their baby

• The type and level of post-placement contact

Your adoption specialist will look at your adoption plan and compare it to what a prospective birth mother wants. Your family profile will only be shown to prospective birth parents whose plan aligns with yours.

In surrogacy, intended parents will pick from profiles of prospective surrogates whose plans and goals match their preferences. If there is mutual interest from the prospective surrogate, then they will match and may get to know each other before signing contracts.

3. Adoption vs. Surrogacy in California: Opportunities and Certainty

Hopeful adoptive parents can wait months or even years before they find a match with a prospective birth mother. It is often one of the most challenging parts of the adoption process.

Also, hopeful adoptive parents might experience an adoption disruption. Though rare, the prospective birth mother may have second thoughts about the adoption and want to parent the child themselves. But, because American Adoptions of California is a local affiliate of a private national adoption agency, we offer a risk-sharing program that will keep you financially protected if a disruption were to occur.

As for surrogacy, intended parents can usually find a match with a prospective surrogate soon after they are screened by their surrogacy professional. But, there are chances the surrogacy process will take more time than the adoption process because surrogacy sometimes requires multiple tries to achieve a pregnancy — then the nine-month wait would begin.

Almost everything else in the surrogacy process has already been planned and is legally binding, so very few surprises should occur.

4. Adoption vs. Surrogacy in California: Genetics

Adoption can have legal and emotional implications that don’t apply to surrogacy because the birth mother is biologically related to the child. Often, people facing unplanned pregnancies have complicated emotions to process when they choose adoption.

But, most birth mothers share some form of post-placement contact with the adoptive family and their child after adoption. This could either be in an open or semi-open adoption arrangement. Open adoption contact can include regular phone calls or annual visits, but the purpose is to keep a healthy, long-lasting relationship between the child and their biological parents.

In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate is not related to the child. Instead, they become pregnant through an embryo transfer using the intended parents’ genetic materials. This is why surrogacy is a popular choice for intended parents who want to maintain a biological link to their children — making it one of the biggest differences between gestational surrogacy vs. adoption in California.

Still, both methods require a different legal course of action and a different set of emotions to process.

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No matter your decision of adoption or surrogacy in California, there is no wrong choice. You should simply choose what is best for you and your family.

But, if you are still debating between adoption and surrogacy in California, our adoption specialists at American Adoptions are available to help you with this decision.

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