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The Ultimate Guide to Surrogacy in Arkansas

Intended parents considering surrogacy to grow their families should gather as much information as possible about starting the process. That’s also true if you’re a young woman thinking about becoming a surrogate mother. As one of the most experienced surrogacy agencies in the U.S., Circle Surrogacy can help guide you through the surrogacy process in Little Rock, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, and other areas of Arkansas. We help intended parents find compatible surrogates and assist women in becoming surrogate mothers.

 Table of Contents

Table of Contents

 Family Supporting Pregnant Surrogate

An Overview of Surrogacy in Arkansas

Arkansas is a surrogacy-friendly state with a series of state laws that regulate the process. Intended parents who want to build their families through surrogacy, including couples and individuals from various backgrounds, ages, and sexual orientations, work with Circle Surrogacy in Arkansas.

Intended parents in Arkansas who work with us may be:

  • Heterosexual couples who have struggled with infertility
  • Intended mothers who are unable to carry a child
  • Intended parents who have a genetic defect or health condition they don't want to pass onto the child
  • LGBTQ+ intended parents who want to have a genetic link to their baby

On this page, people considering surrogacy in Arkansas can learn more about the state's surrogacy process, how to become parents or a surrogate mother, and what surrogacy costs.

Becoming a Parent through Surrogacy in Arkansas

Surrogacy has been helping straight and LGBTQ+ singles and couples in Arkansas grow their families. Arkansas is a surrogacy friendly state, and intended parents can work with any IVF clinic of their choosing.

Below you'll find information about surrogacy in Arkansas, including what the surrogacy process looks like, how much surrogacy costs in Arkansas, how to find a surrogate or egg donor, and so much more. The process can feel overwhelming at first, but the more you read and research, the more familiar it will become to you. Many professionals are involved in a surrogacy journey, and it is a life-changing experience.

Circle Surrogacy can help guide you through the surrogacy process in Little Rock, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, and other areas of Arkansas. Read on for more information.

The Surrogacy Process in Arkansas

Your surrogacy journey includes several milestones that lead to delivery day. It’s important to prepare for each of these steps, whether you’re an intended parent or a surrogate mother.

Not everyone who pursues a surrogacy journey partners with a surrogacy agency. If you choose to pursue surrogacy independently, you’ll need to track and meet these milestones and events on your own. It can be a complicated process that takes time and effort to coordinate. An agency such as Circle Surrogacy, with more than 27 years of experience, helps intended parents and surrogate mothers navigate their journeys through the delivery day. Relying on our team helps intended parents focus on preparing for the arrival of their baby.

Choosing an Agency
If you decide to work with an agency, researching your options is the first step. Not all agencies are the same, so it’s essential to choose one with whom you establish a rapport, and which shares your views about the surrogacy process. It’s important that the agency you choose works with lawyers who are well-versed in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and surrogacy law, including the specific regulations adopted in Arkansas.
Finding a Surrogate and Egg Donor
Finding the perfect surrogate match is the goal of all intended parents, and our Matching Team at Circle Surrogacy helps you achieve this goal. This typically happens after you find and match with an egg donor (if needed). You can use our egg donor database to find bright, ambitious young women who are excited about helping you grow your family.
Pregnancy and Parenthood
It’s important that you, as intended parents, develop a close relationship with your surrogate. When a surrogate lives near the intended parents, they often join her during doctor’s appointments. As each milestone arrives, Circle Surrogacy is there to support you in multiple ways, including helping you prepare to travel for the birth and making sure you have everything you need to return home safely.
 Starting the Surrogacy Process

Starting the Surrogacy Process

You’ve chosen to pursue surrogacy to grow your family (hooray!) and have decided on an agency you’d like to meet with after reviewing your options. Now what? Scheduling a consultation is the first step. This meeting gives you the chance to share your story and ask questions about the surrogacy process, in addition to meeting the people you’ll be working with and deciding if they’re a good fit for your journey.

Intended parents who are emotionally and financially ready to start their surrogacy journey within the next 12 months can schedule a complimentary consultation with Circle Surrogacy. These private consultations educate intended parents on the surrogacy process, surrogacy costs, and how to find and match with a surrogate mother.

You can choose to meet in person or schedule free consultations on either Skype or Zoom. If you're not ready for a full consultation but would like more information, you can schedule a short pre-consultation. This pre-consultation lasts about 30 minutes and is a great way to ask questions and learn more.

 Becoming a Parent in Arkansas

Becoming a Parent in Arkansas

The joy experienced when you welcome a baby into your family is wonderful. Working with an agency such as Circle Surrogacy offers a safe and streamlined process for intended parents. You can grow your family through surrogacy and/or egg donation.

Intended parents usually ask about the cost of surrogacy when they first meet with Circle Surrogacy. We provide comprehensive cost sheets that outline what you should expect in a typical surrogacy journey.

How Much Does Surrogacy Cost in Arkansas?

Circle Surrogacy provides intended parents with information about the various surrogacy programs, the cost of surrogacy, and how much you can expect to pay for egg donation. We are transparent with your surrogacy options, costs, and what you can expect along your journey.

Circle Surrogacy offers an all-inclusive cost program: our Journey Protection Guarantee program.

Journey Protection Guarantee Program surrogacy costs in Arkansas:

Surrogacy only: $157,750
Surrogacy plus egg donation: $184,750
(both prices exclude IVF)

Our Journey Protection Guarantee offers Intended Parents:

  • An all-inclusive program that covers all Surrogate fees and expenses for unlimited transfers and any complications that may arise during your journey
  • No surprise costs or invoices, even in scenarios that require a rematch with a new Surrogate

All agency fees, attorneys’ fees, screening and surrogate fees, and insurance costs are included in Circle Surrogacy’s costs. IVF costs are not included.

The costs outlined above are for our Surrogacy Only and Surrogacy Plus Egg Donation Programs. For more information about the costs of our other programs, please email us or call us at 617.439.9900.

Financing Surrogacy Costs

Some intended parents choose to finance their surrogacy journeys. Please speak with our Parent Intake Team or Consultation Team or fill out this form to learn more.

 Finding a Surrogate Mother in Arkansas

Finding a Surrogate Mother in Arkansas

Matching with a surrogate is one of the most consequential and exciting milestones in your surrogacy journey. Circle Surrogacy works with gestational surrogates from Arkansas, as well as surrounding states. If you're looking in Arkansas for a surrogate mother (or neighboring states), we can help you find your surrogate mother match.

Get Started

When looking for a gestational carrier, intended parents should think about the characteristics that are important to them, whether they’re working with an agency or pursuing surrogacy independently. This step is essential so you can determine if your surrogacy agency has presented you with a good match.

Circle Surrogacy asks intended parents to fill out a profile, so we get to know them better and find appropriate surrogate matches.

The information we ask for in the profile includes your:

  • Relationship (if you have a partner)
  • Family
  • Hobbies and activities
  • Plans for parenthood
  • Reasons for pursuing surrogacy

We also ask intended parents to provide us with photos of themselves, their loved ones, and any other items that convey a good sense of your personality, values, and goals.

Answering these questions honestly is important because your Circle Matching Team uses your answers when searching for the best possible surrogate match. We also consider your geographic location and views on termination during the matching process.

Your viewpoint on other issues will also help us match you with a surrogate. Intended parent matching criteria include preferences on the:

  • Desired level of communication with their surrogate during the journey
  • Location of the surrogate mother
  • Number of embryos to transfer
  • Views on selective reduction and termination

You can use these criteria as guidelines as to what you should look for in a suitable match if you choose to pursue surrogacy without the assistance of an agency.

 3 Criteria for Finding Surrogate Mothers

3 Criteria for Finding Surrogate Mothers

Keep these 3 factors in mind as you search for a surrogate mother in Arkansas:

Appropriate legal fit: Before surrogate profiles are presented to intended parents, our legal department always ensures potential gestational carriers meet both general and state-specific legal criteria.

Personality fit and surrogacy expectations: It’s important that surrogates and intended parents develop a comfortable relationship throughout the journey. This is why your Matching team reviews the list of safe matches provided by the legal team to ensure good personality fits.

Expectations surrounding termination and selective reduction: Intended parents who partner with Circle Surrogacy often prefer to make the choice regarding termination. Sharing similar views regarding terminating a pregnancy or reducing the number of embryos during pregnancy is important for intended parents and surrogates.

 Search egg donor database

Finding an Egg Donor in Arkansas

Eggs donated by a fertile woman enable another individual to conceive a child (with or without the help of a surrogate), whether she’s the intended parent or a surrogate for heterosexual or homosexual couples or individuals. Intended parents with concerns about infertility can build their families through egg donation.

Circle Surrogacy guides you through the egg donation process, including finding an egg donor in Arkansas. We also help you coordinate with an IVF clinic of your choice. Most intended parents begin their searches for an egg donor using an egg donor database. In most databases, you can search for an egg donor using certain criteria. Circle's egg donor database is easy to use and easy to navigate.

 Arkansas Surrogacy Laws

Arkansas Surrogacy Laws

Arkansas law is highly favorable towards gestational surrogacy. While Arkansas’ statute does not specify its applicability to gestational surrogacy, it is permitted and widely practiced throughout the state. Arkansas courts routinely grant pre-birth orders; the gestational surrogate’s name will be listed on the initial birth certificate. A substituted birth certificate will be issued after the child is born, listing the intended parent(s) as the proper legal parents.

Working with a lawyer with expertise in surrogacy law is important when creating surrogacy contracts. Circle Surrogacy works with attorneys familiar with Arkansas surrogacy laws to ensure the process goes smoothly. Circle’s involvement also ensures everyone involved in your surrogacy journey is protected and has an advocate.

Surrogacy in Arkansas for Surrogates

There is so much to learn about becoming a surrogate. We're here to help you navigate surrogacy in Arkansas, from understanding what a surrogate is, what to expect, how being a surrogate can affect your life, to how to apply become a surrogate mother.

Arkansas is a surrogacy-friendly state. Circle Surrogacy works with women from across the state, in Little Rock, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, and other areas of Arkansas.

Read on to see how rewarding being a surrogate can be when you help those who aren't able to have a baby on their own experience the joys of parenthood.

The Process for Surrogates in Arkansas

Women considering becoming surrogates enjoy the support of our experienced social workers and program coordinators throughout the process. If you are ready to apply now or interested in becoming a surrogate but want to talk with experienced surrogates or Surrogate Advisors, we have the expertise to help. Here is an overview of how to become a surrogate in Arkansas:

  • Pre-screening
  • Consultation
  • Matching with intended parents
  • Medical screening and legal contracts
  • Monitoring appointments and embryo transfer
  • Pregnancy
  • Delivery

Learn more about the surrogacy process at Circle.

Getting Started as a Surrogate

Completing our online surrogacy application takes only about 10 minutes and begins the process of becoming a surrogate. You are not obligated to proceed if you aren’t ready.
 How to Become a Surrogate Mother in Arkansas

How to Become a Surrogate Mother in Arkansas

Arkansas residents who would like to apply to become surrogate mothers must:

  • Have delivered a child of their own and are currently parenting at least one child.
  • Have had uncomplicated pregnancies and deliveries, as documented by medical records.
  • Be between 21 and 44 years old.
  • Typically have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of no higher than 33. Calculate My BMI.
  • Be citizens, legal residents, or legal immigrants of the United States. If a surrogate is a legal resident or legal immigrant of the United States, the surrogate must be able to provide documentation that is valid for at least 2 years.
  • Not participate in the following government aid programs: cash assistance, welfare, public housing, and Section 8. All other forms of government assistance will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Additional requirements for becoming a surrogate also apply to most states.

Benefits of Being a Surrogate in Arkansas

Among the benefits of becoming a surrogate mother in Arkansas is a sense of pride. It also includes generous compensation and other benefits, such as:

  • Gaining an incredible sense of self-fulfillment from giving the greatest gift humanly possible to another family
  • Building a life-long relationship with forever-grateful intended parents
  • Working with a personal Program Coordination Team and licensed social worker
  • An opportunity to work with local and international intended parents

And as mentioned, Arkansas surrogate mothers receive generous compensation with a customized benefits package.

The Circle Surrogate Promise

We want gestational carriers to experience the most successful and rewarding journey possible. The Circle Surrogate Promise embodies this goal. Our program evolved after carriers shared their thoughts with their social workers or other team members during their exit interviews. Those conversations led us to improve our offerings to our gestational carriers.

Guaranteed Pay, Security, and Support

The exclusive Circle Surrogate Promise is a unique program. No other agency can offer the same level of security and support.

Circle Surrogacy promises:

  1. Guaranteed Compensation. Circle Surrogacy ensures a surrogate’s escrow account is always funded and that she is always paid in full and on time.
  2. No medical bill liability. Circle Surrogacy takes on the liability of medical bills. Previous surrogates expressed frustration about medical bills, which prompted us to make significant changes. Even though surrogates will always receive medical bills because they are the “patients,” our new Fixed Cost programs for intended parents allow us to protect both the surrogates and the intended parents and ensure all medical bills will be paid in a timely manner.
  3. $5,000 compensation, even if you leave the program. Once we accept you into our surrogate program and you are medically cleared and matched with intended parents, we will compensate you for your time, energy, and dedication even if you don’t achieve a pregnancy (up to $5,000 total).
  4. Empowerment in birth choices. Gestational carriers should decide how they experience the birth of the surrogate baby. At Circle, our surrogates have choices for their preferred birth options, such as doula care, a hospital birth, or using a birth center with a midwife.
  5. Personalized, small agency feel, with the resources of a large agency. An experienced carrier is often the first person potential surrogates speak with at Circle. This person guides you through the process until you are matched with your intended parents and will personally introduce you to your dedicated social worker and journey support team—all of whom are in house at Circle. You’ll always be supported by a Circle employee who knows all the details about you and your journey. (You’ll never have to worry about working with a third party who doesn’t even know your name!) Plus, with our expanded team, we can offer support groups, virtual events, one-on-one surrogate mentorship, and more.
 New dad with his daughter through surrogacy

How Much Do Surrogates Get Paid in Arkansas?

Carrying a baby for someone else requires a passion for helping others grow their families. It also involves getting compensated financially. This compensation is often called "surrogate base compensation" or "surrogate payment." Previous surrogates helped Circle Surrogacy create a compensation and benefits program for surrogates and their families. It provides security, benefits, and protection that are virtually unsurpassed.

Our new Surrogate Pay & Family Protection Program provides the following benefits:

  • Earning up to $50,000+ (your base fee plus additional benefits)
  • Protection for the surrogate and her family throughout the journey
  • All expenses paid, from travel to meals to gas and more
  • Benefits and support through postpartum (the 4th trimester)
  • Full transparency on what's included
  • Benefits you won't find at any other agency

If you’re still considering other surrogacy agencies because of their compensation, we'd appreciate having the opportunity to talk with you about those offers—we can match them. We promise you'll have the best surrogacy experience with us.

How does surrogate pay work?

Base Compensation

You can calculate your base compensation with our payment calculator to see how much you could earn as a surrogate in Arkansas.

Payments Before You Are Pregnant

Signing payments and payments for your medical screening are examples of compensation provided by Circle early in the surrogacy process. These payments are in addition to your base compensation.

Payments During and After Surrogacy

Circle compensates surrogates for their necessities during and after pregnancy, including maternity clothing, housekeeping, pumping and shipping breast milk, and more. These payments are in addition to your base compensation.

Additional Benefits

In addition to financial compensation, surrogates receive other non-monetary benefits that are priceless in ensuring they’re protected and have a smooth journey. These benefits include legal counsel, life insurance, and more.

How Circle Supports Surrogates

Circle Surrogacy provides an unmatched level of support to surrogates, from the day they begin exploring the possibility of becoming a gestational carrier to meeting with prospective parents and throughout the pregnancy to birth.

Surrogates rely on Circle’s team to help them navigate the screening process, ensuring they match with the perfect intended parent or parents, and guide them through the legal and social work aspects of surrogacy.

The passion we bring to our work is authentic because many of us are experienced surrogates. Some members of our team have completed 3 surrogate journeys. In addition to having world-class expertise in the myriad legal, social, and medical aspects of your surrogacy process, we provide guidance based on our experience. We can answer any question you may have.

We recommend attorneys in the areas where surrogates live who can review legal contracts. These are lawyers we’ve previously worked with who are knowledgeable about Assisted Reproductive Technology law. We can connect you with trustworthy experts whenever needed. To learn more about being a surrogate, read our blog post about the 10 steps to becoming a surrogate.

 Intended Parents with their hands on their surrogate's belly

Finding a Perfect Intended Parent Match

Surrogates and prospective parents share an incredible, intimate journey. That’s why Circle Surrogacy developed a thorough matching process that enables your Surrogate Support Team to find the perfect intended parent(s) for you.

Surrogates and intended parents review each other’s profiles, ask questions, and have the chance to get to know each other and feel each other out before committing to being matched. We can set up an initial video call, too. Our goal is that you and the intended parents feel completely comfortable with the match. If you’re not, the surrogacy agreement won’t move forward.

Circle works with single parents, LGBTQ+ and heterosexual couples, domestic and international couples, and others. We’re confident you’ll be able to find a great match.

Getting Started

Whether you are intended parents or you are interested in becoming a surrogate or egg donor, the surrogacy process can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.  Learning more about surrogacy is the first step of your journey.