Skip to Content (Press Enter)

globe

The Ultimate Guide to Surrogacy in Rhode Island

Surrogacy can be an extraordinary and personally fulfilling experience, both for intended parents who hope to grow their families and individuals who want to help others become parents. With more than 25 years of experience, Circle Surrogacy & Egg Donation supports intended parents, surrogate mothers, and egg donors in their journeys to bring new lives into the world. You can use this guide to learn about the surrogacy process in Rhode Island. Once you've reviewed the information, Circle Surrogacy is ready to support you each step of the way during that process.

 Table of Contents

Table of Contents

 An Overview of Surrogacy in Rhode Island

An Overview of Surrogacy in Rhode Island

Rhode Island is one of the best states for people to pursue surrogacy. It is a gratifying process during which Circle Surrogacy provides expertise and support for people of all backgrounds ready to start and expand their families. The surrogacy journey involves:

  • Intended parents (IPs): Couples or individuals who cannot have a baby on their own can choose surrogacy to grow their families.
  • Gestational surrogates: No one knows the gift of parenthood better than mothers who already have children. Gestational surrogates do NOT use their eggs to create the embryos and have no genetic relationship to the babies they carry.
  • Egg donors: Young, selfless, and strong women help others fulfill their dreams of becoming parents by generously donating their eggs.

Many members of Circle's team understand the thoughts and feelings of people embarking on their surrogacy journeys because they have firsthand experience as intended parents, surrogates, or egg donors.

No two surrogacy journeys are the same because the people involved come from varied backgrounds and include a wide range of ages. Individuals of all sexual orientations—couples and individuals—build their families through surrogacy. Intended parents from Rhode Island often include:

  • Heterosexual couples who have struggled with infertility
  • Women who are unable to carry a child
  • People who don't want to risk passing on a genetic defect or health condition to their baby
  • Same-sex couples who want a genetic connection with their baby

The women who become gestational surrogates and egg donors are amazing people with backgrounds just as diverse, making each surrogacy journey unique.

 Why Rhode Island Is a Great State for Surrogacy

Why Rhode Island Is a Great State for Surrogacy

Favorable Rhode Island surrogacy laws protect surrogates, egg donors, and intended parents in Providence, Warwick, Cranston, and throughout Rhode Island. Obtaining parental rights in Rhode Island is an easy and seamless process for all involved. Surrogates and intended parents rarely, if ever, have to go to court. In Rhode Island, pre-birth orders are generally obtained during the eighth month of pregnancy and are usually signed in the judge’s chambers without the parties present.

Other benefits for Rhode Island surrogates, intended parents, and egg donors include:

  • Access to top-rated clinics. Circle works with many intended parents who are clients of fertility clinics in the Northeast. We're happy to work with your IVF clinic if you already have one.
  • Local surrogates. Circle works with surrogates from all over the state of Rhode Island as well as New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, so we can help you find a match who lives close to you.
  • We're accessible. Circle Surrogacy's Boston office supports parents in the Northeast through their surrogacy journeys.
  • Flexible consultation schedule. We are available for consults via video calls during the day, evenings, and some weekends. We do our best to accommodate your schedule.

Surrogacy in Rhode Island for Intended Parents

Surrogacy and egg donation helps straight and LGBTQ+ singles and couples in Rhode Island grow their families. Rhode Island is a surrogacy friendly state, and intended parents will find many top-rated IVF clinics in the area and on the east coast.

Below you'll find information about surrogacy in Rhode Island, including what the surrogacy process looks like, how much surrogacy costs, 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 Rhode Island, from Providence, Warwick, Cranston, and cities and towns in between.

Plus, we're local! Circle Surrogacy is a short drive away, headquartered in Boston, MA should you ever want to meet with us in person. We'd love to see you!

Becoming a Parent in Rhode Island

Making an informed decision is essential for intended parents. At Circle, we ensure that you understand the costs, processes, and laws associated with surrogacy in Rhode Island before starting this journey.

The Surrogacy Process in Rhode Island

The first question intended parents must ask themselves is whether they want to pursue surrogacy independently or with the guidance and support of an agency. Having an agency such as Circle Surrogacy help you navigate the legal and medical aspects of surrogacy, and the milestones and events of the journey, can significantly reduce the stress of the process. With our team by your side, you can relax knowing everyone involved is in good hands, which means you’ll be free to anticipate the arrival of your baby!
Choosing an Agency
If you're planning to enlist the help of a surrogacy agency in Rhode Island, you have many agencies from which to choose. We recommend identifying the qualifications that you deem the most important, whether that's the agency's experience, location, or size. It's also important that you establish a personal connection, which is why it's essential to meet with members of the agency—either in person or through a video call. Your comfort level with having an open conversation with them is a vital part of your decision.
Finding a Surrogate and Egg Donor

Are you planning to use egg donation in Rhode Island for your surrogacy journey? If so, we recommend matching with an egg donor and creating your embryos first. Using Circle Surrogacy's egg donor database, you can choose from various young, intelligent women whose physical and emotional health has been documented and who would love to help others become parents.

Circle's Matching Team helps match intended parents with the perfect surrogate and encourages you to get to know each other and develop a strong bond.

Pregnancy and Parenthood

Throughout the pregnancy, Circle assists intended parents by:

  • Supporting them through each milestone
  • Helping them prepare for the birth
  • Ensuring they are ready to return home safely and securely with their baby

Pregnancy is an exciting time when many intended parents and surrogates form close relationships. Many IPs join their surrogate for prenatal appointments, either in person or virtually via video.

 Starting the Surrogacy Process

Starting the Surrogacy Process

Once you're both emotionally and financially ready to begin the surrogacy process within the next 12 months, it's time to schedule a consultation with the agency you selected.

We also offer complimentary, in-depth surrogacy consultations with a parent intake consultant and a lawyer. These private meetings typically take 2 to 2 1/2 hours. During this time, we get to know each other, hear your story, review the surrogacy process for you specifically, and discuss your questions or concerns. Additionally, we review our surrogacy programs and costs.

If you're not ready for a full consultation but would like more information, you can schedule a pre-consultation with our intake team by contacting [email protected] and someone will reach out to coordinate a time.

 How Much Does Surrogacy Cost in Rhode Island?

How Much Does Surrogacy Cost in Rhode Island?

Circle Surrogacy's all-inclusive cost surrogacy program is the only one of its kind in Rhode Island and is called the Journey Protection Guarantee Program.

We designed this program to provide the utmost protection and financial security for intended parents, with no surprise costs or fees popping up during the journey. No other surrogacy agency can promise that!

Journey Protection Guarantee Program

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

Our Journey Protection Guarantee Program includes fixed costs on the following:

  • Professional fees
  • Gestational carrier and egg donor fees
  • Pregnancy, labor, and delivery insurance

Circle Surrogacy is proud to offer this all-inclusive program to help as many intended parents in Rhode Island as possible bring home a baby while reducing variable costs.

Financing Surrogacy

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 by filling out this form.

 Fill out an application to become an egg donor

Finding a Surrogate Mother in Rhode Island

It's truly gratifying when Circle Surrogacy successfully brings together intended parents and surrogates. Finding the right match is an exciting part of the journey to parenthood that is transformative for all involved. Circle works with many surrogated mothers in Rhode Island, in addition to surrounding states, so intended parents may have the opportunity to work with a local surrogate.

How to Start

What's important to you when choosing a gestational carrier? Thinking about that and your surrogacy journey before starting the selection process is time well-spent. Preparing a mental checklist of important qualities makes finding the right surrogate much easier, whether you’re pursuing an independent journey or working with a surrogacy agency's list of candidates. We're proud that the majority of surrogates and intended parents matched by our agency have remained connected well beyond delivery.

How Circle Can Help

Completing our intended parent profile helps your Matching Team at Circle get to know you better and find candidates who we believe will be ideal surrogates for you. The profile asks about you, your relationship (if you have a partner), your family, your hobbies, your plans for parenthood, and what brought you to the surrogacy process. Sharing photos of yourself, close friends or family members, and any other subjects that better acquaints us with you as a person is invaluable.

You also have the opportunity in your profile to specify:

  • How much communication you want with your surrogate during the journey
  • Where you'd like your surrogate to live
  • How many embryos you want to transfer
  • Your viewpoint on selective reduction and termination

If you are embarking on the surrogacy journey on your own, these guidelines can help you match with a compatible surrogate.

 Search egg donor database

3 Criteria for Finding Surrogate Mothers

When searching for a surrogate mother in Rhode Island, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Does she meet the legal requirements? Circle's legal department ensures each surrogate presented as a potential match meets the requirements of Rhode Island's surrogacy laws.

2. Do her personality and surrogacy expectations match yours? At Circle, your Matching Team (which includes a lawyer) works with you to ensure your personality and expectations fit well with the surrogate's, so you have a comfortable relationship throughout the journey.

3. Do you have similar views on termination and selective reduction? No one wants to think about a selective reduction or pregnancy termination, but it's important that surrogates and intended parents agree on the issue before starting the journey. In our experience, intended parents typically prefer to have the option to terminate or selectively reduce if issues should arise.

 becoming a parent through surrogacy research

Finding an Egg Donor in Rhode Island

If your journey includes an egg donor, it's extremely important to find the right one because the donor contributes half of the child's genetics.

Start by asking yourself if there are any qualities that your egg donor absolutely must have. Other important questions to answer include:

  • Do you want an egg donor whose personality or appearance is similar to yours or complementary to yours?
  • What are your preferences regarding the egg donor's education, appearance, ethnicity, and personality?

Intended parents can use Circle's egg donor database to start their egg donor search. Narrow your choices by searching for specific criteria, including:

  • Physical attributes (such as hair and eye color)
  • Race/ethnicity
  • Education
  • Previous fertility
  • Geography

If you're not entirely sure about certain qualities you want in an egg donor, our experienced team can help you make a great match.

 Surrogacy Laws in Rhode Island

Surrogacy Laws in Rhode Island

No statute or published case law in Rhode Island prohibits gestational surrogacy. In fact, Rhode Island surrogacy law makes obtaining parental rights an easy process for all parties. Intended parents typically obtain pre-birth orders during the eighth month of pregnancy. These are usually signed by the judge in their chambers without the parties present, meaning surrogates and intended parents rarely, if ever, need to go to court.

Surrogacy in Rhode Island for Surrogates

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

Rhode Island is a surrogacy-friendly state, and its eastern location makes it easily accessible to top-rated IVF clinics. We work women from all over Rhode Island, from Providence, Warwick, Cranston, and cities and towns in between.

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.

Plus, we're local! Circle Surrogacy is a short drive away, headquartered in Boston, MA should you ever want to meet with us in person. We'd love to see you!
 Surrogate mother application and screening at computer

The Process for Surrogates in Rhode Island

Circle's experienced social workers and program coordinators provide support and guidance to Rhode Island surrogates throughout the surrogacy process. Many of our team members have been surrogates themselves and understand the physical and emotional experience. Surrogate Advisors or other experienced surrogates are ready to talk with women considering becoming gestational surrogates even if they're not ready to submit an application.

The surrogate process involves:

  • 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 and how we support our surrogates every step of the way.

Getting Started as a Surrogate

Wherever you may be in your journey, it can be helpful to complete our simple online surrogacy application. It takes only about 10 minutes to complete, and you're not obligated to proceed.
 Surrogate mother requirements on computer

Surrogate Requirements in Rhode Island

Gestational surrogates are very special women who are passionate about motherhood and family. All kinds of women become surrogates, including teachers, medical professionals, and stay-at-home moms. They are spirited, caring, and selfless.

To qualify as a surrogate mother in Rhode Island, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Have delivered a child of your own and are currently parenting at least one child.
  • Have had uncomplicated pregnancies and deliveries, as documented by medical records.
  • Are from 21 to 44 years of age.
  • Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) no higher than 33. Calculate my BMI.
  • Are a United States citizen, legal resident, or legal immigrant. If you are a legal resident or legal immigrant of the United States, you must provide valid documentation for at least 2 years.
  • Do 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.

Review all surrogate requirements

 Benefits of Being a Surrogate in Rhode Island

Benefits of Being a Surrogate in Rhode Island

Our surrogate mothers who live in Rhode Island enjoy both monetary and emotional benefits, which include:

  • Earning up to $55,000 in payments and benefits.
  • Gaining an incredible sense of self-fulfillment from giving the greatest gift humanly possible to another family.
  • Building a lifelong relationship with forever-grateful intended parents.
  • Being supported by a personal journey coordination team and licensed social worker every step of the way.
  • Connecting with an active community of other surrogates across the country.

See Circle's full list of benefits and compensation for surrogates in Rhode Island. We begin monthly payments and provide compensation and benefits to our surrogates even before they become pregnant.

 How Much Do Surrogates Get Paid in Rhode Island?

How Much Do Surrogates Get Paid in Rhode Island?

We understand and appreciate the physical, emotional, and mental commitment required to be a surrogate—not to mention the dedication of their families. Circle Surrogacy's compensation and benefits program was created for surrogates by surrogates and provides security, benefits, and protection that are virtually unsurpassed.

We created our new Surrogate Pay & Family Protection Program with surrogates and their families in mind. It provides the following benefits:

  • Competitive pay (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
  • Full transparency on what's included
  • Benefits you won't find at any other agency

If you'd like to apply with Circle but are considering other agencies based on 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?

Surrogates receive their first payments before they are pregnant, and they continue throughout their pregnancies. We break down surrogate pay into the following categories:

Base Compensation

Calculate your base compensation with our payment calculator to see how much you could earn as a surrogate in your state.

Payments Before You Are Pregnant

Circle compensates you early in your journey for completing tasks and milestones, such as a signing payment and for your medical screening. These payments are in addition to your base compensation.

Payments During and After Surrogacy

Surrogate mothers also receive financial support for necessities during the pregnancy, such as maternity clothing, housekeeping, pumping and shipping breast milk, and more. These payments are in addition to your base compensation.

Additional Benefits

Surrogates will receive additional non-monetary benefits that are priceless in ensuring they’re protected and have a smooth journey. These benefits include social work support, legal counsel, life insurance, and more.

 Family Supporting Pregnant Surrogate

How Circle Supports Surrogates

The exceptional support we provide surrogates stems from the fact that many of our staff members have completed the surrogate journey themselves. That support begins the minute surrogates fill out their applications and continues through delivery day and beyond. During that time, our pre-screened surrogates have access to:

  • Social work, legal, and journey support
  • Private social groups with other surrogate mothers
  • Exclusive events with the Circle team

You can talk with experienced members of our team to get answers to any questions you may have.

Circle also connects surrogates with skilled, trustworthy experts, including referring them to attorneys in the areas where they live. These lawyers have a strong working knowledge of assisted reproductive technology (ART) law and have worked in the past with Circle. They can help you review and understand any legal contracts. It's just one more way we help make the entire surrogacy process smooth and simple. To learn more, read our blog post about the 10 steps to becoming a surrogate.

 Circle Surrogate Promise program offers the best agency support

The Circle Surrogate Promise

We created the Circle Surrogate Promise based on feedback from previous gestational carriers to improve our offerings. This program guarantees pay, security, and support exclusively for Circle Surrogates; no other agency can offer the same level of security and support. We truly care about our carriers and want surrogacy to be as successful and rewarding as possible for each of them.

Through this program, Circle Surrogacy promises:

1. Guaranteed compensation. Circle ensures that each surrogate is always paid in full and on time because we financially back our intended parents.

2. Zero 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 a surrogate is the patient and will always receive medical bills, our new fixed-cost Journey Protection Guarantee Program for intended parents allows us to protect both the surrogates and intended parents and ensure all medical bills will be paid in a timely manner.

3. Up to $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. Not every gestational carrier has the same desires when it comes to the birth of their 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; large agency resources. An experienced carrier likely will be the first person you speak with at Circle. She'll guide you through the process until you are matched with your intended parents. They'll also 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 are able to offer support groups, virtual events, one-on-one surrogate mentorship, and more.

 Finding a Perfect Intended Parent Match

Finding a Perfect Intended Parent Match

The matching process is an important and exciting process, both for you and the intended parents. Circle uses our extensive and thorough matching process to make sure to match you with the right intended parents in Rhode Island. This is the start of one of the most consequential journeys that a surrogate and intended parents will take, and it's important to establish a strong connection and trusting relationship.

The matching process begins with your Surrogate Advisor discussing with the intended parents the personality fit and legal circumstances. You'll then get to review each other's profiles, ask questions, and see if you feel comfortable with each other. You will also meet the intended parents in an initial video call or possibly in person. It's important to make sure everyone—you and the intended parents—feel comfortable with the match. Only then will we move forward with the surrogacy agreement.

Circle works with all kinds of intended parents, including LGBTQ+ and heterosexual couples, couples in the U.S. and other countries, singles, and more. We're confident there's the right match for you.

Getting Started

Whether you are intended parents or you’re interested in becoming a surrogate or egg donor, the surrogacy process can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Take the first step by learning more about surrogacy.