4 Reasons that California is the Best Place for Surrogacy
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Are you wondering which state has the most favorable surrogacy laws and options?
When it comes to starting a family via surrogacy, California is one of the best places to have a baby and raise a family. This is in part thanks to the high standard of health care and the expert surrogacy agencies in California.
If you want solid evidence to convince you, here are the top four reasons that California is the best place for surrogacy:
A well-developed legal process for gestational surrogacy
There are no federal laws that govern the surrogacy process. However, each state has its own regulations. The Golden State has by far the most advanced surrogacy laws in place that protect all the relevant parties involved – intended parents, surrogate mother, child, and egg donor, where applicable.
The ability to establish parental rights pre-birth
In California, explicit laws exist under the Uniform Parentage Act that allows people of all orientations to apply for surrogacy arrangements. Intended
parents will also be able to obtain a pre-birth order that automatically acknowledges them as the legal parents of the child. Being a surrogate in California, you will also have specific rights that your surrogate agency will inform you about.
Equal access and protection for LGBTQ, single-parent families, and international parents
In states such as Louisiana, surrogacy is limited to heterosexual couples who are legally married. Thankfully, California’s surrogacy laws are more inclusive and allow people of any sexual orientation, marital status, and gender, and people with or without a genetic link to the child to become a parent. Furthermore, these parents will continue to enjoy legal protection under California laws even if they decide to move to another state.
Exceptional state rankings
According to this report by USNews, California’s health care system is one of the best in the country. In fact, their public health care is ranked as number one out of all 50 states. Add to that their overall baby friendliness and low infant mortality rate and you have a state that makes it a great place to be a surrogate.
Additional things to know
If you’re considering surrogacy, it’s important that you know this information, because surrogacy or being involved in a surrogacy arrangement is a punishable offense in certain states, such as New York, Michigan, New Jersey, and Washington.
In fact, in Michigan, intended parents can face fines of up to $50,000! And in New York, fines of up to $10,000. California’s favorable laws and pro-surrogacy regulations have made it one of the country’s leading surrogacy states.
Where to find help in California?
Joy of Life is one of the best surrogacy agencies in California. We have helped scores of intended parents over the years start their families and walked with surrogates through the entire process. If you’re thinking about surrogacy in California, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for more information.
