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The Ultimate Guide to Surrogacy in Kentucky

Intended parents hoping to grow their families and women wanting to give intended parents the ultimate gift through surrogacy in Kentucky may need help figuring out where to turn for surrogacy guidance and resources. Circle Surrogacy is an experienced, highly reputable surrogacy agency that can guide you through this exciting process, whether you’re in Louisville, Lexington-Fayette, Bowling Green, or another Kentucky community.

 Table of Contents

Table of Contents

 Family Supporting Pregnant Surrogate

An Overview of Surrogacy in Kentucky

Currently, no laws specifically regulate surrogacy in Kentucky, but there are safe, legal processes to follow for both intended parents and surrogate mothers.

Surrogacy helps couples and individuals of various backgrounds regardless of age, sex, or sexual orientation.

Every surrogacy journey is unique, and Circle often works with intended parents in Kentucky, such as:

• Heterosexual couples who struggle 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 their child
• LGBTQ+ intended parents who want a genetic link to their baby

All individuals and couples planning to be parents have a long, rewarding, and emotional journey before them. This page will give you helpful information as you start to navigate the process.

Surrogacy in Kentucky for Intended Parents

Surrogacy and egg donation helps straight and LGBTQ+ singles and couples in Kentucky grow their families.

Below you'll find information about surrogacy in Kentucky, including what the surrogacy process looks like, how much surrogacy costs in Kentucky, what surrogacy program can help you, 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.

We're ready to help intended parents from all over Kentucky, including Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, or another Kentucky community.

Read on to learn more about how surrogacy works and if it's the right path to parenthood for you.

The Surrogacy Process in Kentucky

For both intended parents and surrogate mothers, the surrogacy journey will be unique and sometimes uncertain. Understanding each step and preparing as best as possible is a good strategy for both parties.

While you can choose to navigate the surrogacy journey on your own, partnering with an experienced agency such as Circle Surrogacy can help make the process smoother. An agency with years of experience in surrogacy can alleviate uncertainty so you can fully focus on the arrival of your little miracle.

Choosing an Agency
When selecting an agency for your surrogacy process, it’s important to do your research and clearly map out your objectives. The agency you pick should be a comfortable fit for you and align with your goals and roadmap. It’s also essential to pick an agency whose lawyers are knowledgeable in ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology) and surrogacy law since Kentucky doesn't have specific state laws regarding surrogacy.
Finding a Surrogate and Egg Donor
An initial step in the surrogacy process for intended parents is finding and matching with an egg donor if needed. Our egg donor database is an excellent resource for finding intelligent and ambitious young women who are excited to help you grow your family. The next step is to find a perfect surrogate match with assistance from our Matching Specialists.
Pregnancy and Parenthood
As you navigate the process of building a family, you will want to bond and create a relationship with your surrogate. This could include visiting with her if she lives in the vicinity. Establishing a healthy relationship with your surrogate is important and will help make the process smoother. Our agency will support you every step of the way, helping you prepare for the birth and ensuring you’re ready to return home safely with your baby.
 Starting the Surrogacy Process

Starting the Surrogacy Process

Once you make the decision to enter the surrogacy process and choose an agency, you will be on your way! The next step is scheduling a consultation. You should meet with the agency of your choice and prepare a list of questions and concerns that you may have. This is a chance to get to know the agency and see if it’s the right fit for you and your journey.

Circle Surrogacy offers complimentary consultations for intended parents who are emotionally and financially ready to begin a surrogacy journey within the next 12 months. These private consultations educate intended parents on the surrogacy process, surrogacy costs, and finding and matching with a surrogate mother.

At Circle Surrogacy, we offer free consultations both in-person and virtually via Zoom or Skype. If you are not ready for a full consultation, you can schedule a 30-minute pre-consultation to get more information and have some of your questions answered.

 Becoming a Parent in Kentucky

Becoming a Parent in Kentucky

Becoming a parent through surrogacy is a joyous and emotional process, and you want to be ready in every way you can. Circle Surrogacy is here to help intended parents in Kentucky welcome a new life into their world.

We know you will have many questions about egg donation, finding a surrogate, and the cost of surrogacy. We are here to answer all your questions, and our comprehensive cost sheets explain the costs of a typical surrogacy journey.

How Much Does Surrogacy Cost in Kentucky?

We can help you understand the surrogacy programs available, the cost of surrogacy, and how much you can expect to pay for egg donation. Circle Surrogacy is transparent in its 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 Kentucky:

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

Circle's costs include all agency fees, attorneys’ fees, screening and surrogate fees, and insurance costs. They do not include IVF costs.

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 may have the opportunity to qualify for financing for their journey. Please speak with our Parent Intake Team or Consultation Team or fill out this form.

 Finding a Surrogate Mother in Kentucky

Finding a Surrogate Mother in Kentucky

An important part of your surrogacy journey will be finding a surrogate mother. We work with gestational surrogates in Kentucky and surrounding states to help you find the surrogate match that’s right for you.

Get Started

If you're navigating your surrogacy journey without the assistance of an agency, it's important to think about what's important to you in your gestational carrier. It's also essential to know what you're looking for to determine if your surrogacy agency has presented you with a good match.

If you choose to work with us, we ask that you fill out a profile so we can match you to an appropriate surrogate.

The information we gather for the profile will include:

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

Additionally, being open to sharing photos of yourself and your loved ones and any other personal information will help us find the best possible surrogate match for you.

Your Matching Specialist uses your information, your geographic location, and views on termination to find you the best possible surrogate match. It’s important to be honest when thinking about how you answer these questions.

Your preferences on other issues also help us to match you with your gestational carrier, including:

  • Desired level of communication with your 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 Kentucky:

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

Personality fit and surrogacy expectations: We want both surrogates and intended parents to have a comfortable relationship throughout the journey. That’s why your Program Coordination team reviews the list of safe matches provided by the legal team to ensure good personality fits.

Expectations surrounding termination and selective reduction: In our experience, intended parents often prefer to make the choice regarding termination. It's important that surrogates and intended parents share similar views about the termination of a pregnancy if a situation develops in which a reduction or termination is considered.

 Search egg donor database

Finding an Egg Donor in Kentucky

A fertile woman can donate her eggs to a couple or individual looking to start a family. The egg donor can be the intended parent herself or a surrogate for heterosexual or same-sex couples/individuals.

What is the process for finding an egg donor in Kentucky? Circle Surrogacy helps you navigate the process every step of the way and helps you coordinate with an IVF clinic of your choice. Intended parents can search for an egg donor using an egg donor database. You can use certain criteria to search our egg donor database, which is easy to use and navigate.

 Kentucky Surrogacy Laws

Kentucky Surrogacy Laws

Intended parents and surrogates rely on general contract law to enforce gestational carrier agreements drafted in Kentucky. Federal case law requires states to afford same-sex married couples the same privileges as heterosexual married couples. Kentucky has no law that requires parents to have a genetic link to their offspring. Intended parents should be able to establish parentage with a pre-birth order.

Surrogacy in Kentucky for Surrogates

here is so much to learn about becoming a surrogate. We're here to help you navigate surrogacy in Kentucky, 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.

Circle supports women who wish to become surrogates from all over Kentucky, including Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, or another Kentucky community. Plus, we are able to connect you with experienced surrogates in your area even before you apply if you have questions.

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.
 5 Things To Know About Being a Surrogate

5 Things To Know About Being a Surrogate

There is a lot of information out there about becoming a surrogate, but here are 5 quick things for you to know before you begin!

  1. Surrogates do NOT use their own DNA (eggs) for the babies they carry
  2. Surrogates are paid throughout the entirety of their journey (not at the end) and start before pregnancy
  3. Surrogates have a say in with whom they match; all matches are mutual
  4. Surrogates DO need to give themselves injections as part of the IVF process; most surrogates say these needles are no big deal
  5. Surrogates will have to say goodbye to the baby; they look forward to "giving the baby back" to their intended parents; because they are not genetically related to the baby, surrogates do not feel an "attachment" to the babies they carry

Ready to learn more? Read on!

What Is a Surrogate

A surrogate mother – also called a gestational carrier or gestational surrogate – is a woman who carriers a baby for people (the Intended Parents) who are unable to have a baby on their own. Most surrogate mothers are gestational surrogates, meaning the surrogate mother does not use her own eggs and doesn't share any genetics with the baby.

Circle Surrogacy only works with gestational carriers – women who do not share biology with the baby they are carrying.

Surrogate mothers get paid for carrying someone's baby, and they are protected by a legal contract signed by both the surrogate mother and the Intended Parents.


Surrogates are women who have children of their own, have had relatively easy pregnancies and births (they like being pregnant!), and many have completed their own families. Surrogate mothers want to help others have their own families.

What is surrogacy? It's an amazing way to help make intended parents' dreams come true and give others the ultimate gift: a baby!

The Process for Surrogates in Kentucky

Our experienced social workers and program coordinators are here to help surrogates navigate the process at every stage. If you are interested in becoming a surrogate or just looking for more information before making your decision, you can talk to an experienced surrogate or Surrogate Advisor to gain more insight into the surrogacy journey.

Here is an overview of the surrogacy process:

  • 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

We recommend completing our online surrogacy application to start the conversation about surrogacy. It takes only about 10 minutes to complete, and there is no obligation to proceed if you aren’t ready.
 How To Become a Surrogate Mother in Kentucky

How To Become a Surrogate Mother in Kentucky

Who is a good candidate to become a surrogate mother? Women who are kind, generous, caring, and eager to give someone the ultimate gift of a child. Surrogate mothers come from all walks of life and backgrounds. Could this be you?

What Are the Requirements for Becoming a Surrogate?

Kentucky 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 valid documentation 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 in most states.

Benefits of Being a Surrogate in Kentucky

Women choose to become surrogates for a variety of reasons, such as pride in helping others start their own families and generous financial compensation. Women who wish to become surrogate mothers enjoy benefits such as:

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

The Circle Surrogate Promise

We created the Circle Surrogate Promise because we truly care about our carriers and want each of them to have the most successful and rewarding journey possible. This program evolved after carriers shared their thoughts with their social workers or during exit interviews. Those conversations led us to improve our offerings to our gestational carriers.

Guaranteed Pay, Security, and Support

The Circle Surrogate Promise is a program exclusive to Circle surrogates; no other agency can offer the same level of security and support.

Circle Surrogacy promises:

  1. Guaranteed Compensation. We financially back our intended parents to ensure a surrogate’s escrow account is always funded and she is always paid in full and on time.
  2. No medical bill liability. Circle Surrogacy takes on the liability of medical bills. We listened to our past surrogates and their frustrations with medical bills, and we’ve made big changes. While we can never stop having you receive medical bills (since you are the “patient”), 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. If you are accepted into our surrogate program and you are medically cleared and matched with intended parents – but you don’t achieve a pregnancy – we will compensate you for your time, energy, and dedication thus far in your journey (up to $5,000 total).
  4. Empowerment in birth choices. Gestational carriers have various desires when it comes to the birth of their surrogate baby. At Circle, our surrogates have choices for her 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. Our team is proud to develop close, personal relationships with our surrogates. The first person you speak with at Circle will likely be an experienced carrier who guides you through the process until you are matched with intended parents. They will personally introduce you to your dedicated in-house social worker and journey support team. 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 are able to 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 Kentucky?

When you choose to be a surrogate mother, you are making more than just a physical commitment—you’re devoting yourself emotionally too. With input from previous surrogates, Circle Surrogacy created a compensation and benefits program to recognize this extraordinary dedication from surrogates and their families. This surrogate payment provides surrogates with security, benefits, and protection that are unmatched by any other agency.

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

  • Earning up to $50,000-$55,000 (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

Are you still in the process of evaluating other agencies based on compensation? If so, we would love to discuss compensation with you. We can match those offers and promise you’ll have an unparalleled 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 Kentucky.

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

Surrogates receive other non-monetary benefits—in addition to financial compensation—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 is leading the way in the surrogacy field with more than 25 years of experience and compassionate care for intended parents and surrogate mothers. We support both intended parents and surrogate mothers from the very first day and throughout the entire surrogacy process.

We help surrogates navigate the screening process, ensuring they match with the perfect intended parents, and guide them through the legal and social work aspects of surrogate parenting.

Our team includes experienced surrogates who are passionate about what they do and committed to supporting surrogates throughout their journeys. We bring our expertise in legal, social, and medical aspects of the surrogacy process and can answer any question you may have.

When you need a lawyer to review legal contracts, we'll recommend an attorney in your area with whom we've worked previously and who is thoroughly knowledgeable about Assisted Reproductive Technology law. We can connect you with reliable 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

The prospective parents you help will be part of an incredible, intimate journey with you. And it's why Circle Surrogacy has developed a thorough matching process.

Your Surrogate Support Team uses personality profiles to find the perfect intended parent(s) for you. You’ll get to review each other’s profiles, ask questions, and generally get a feel for whether you’re right for one another. We also help schedule your initial video call. The goal is to make sure both you and the intended parent(s) feel completely comfortable with the match. And, of course, the surrogacy agreement only moves forward if you’re all satisfied with the match.

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 the intended parents, potential surrogate mother, 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.