Circle works with many women from Tennessee who want to become surrogate mothers and help others achieve their dreams of parenthood. Learn about surrogacy in Tennessee, how much surrogates get paid, and Tennessee surrogate mother requirements.
In order to qualify to become a gestational carrier in Tennessee, women must meet the following requirements:
- Has delivered a child of their own, and is currently parenting at least one child.
- Has had uncomplicated pregnancies and deliveries, as documented by medical records.
- Is between 21-41 years of age.
- Typically has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of no higher than 33. Calculate My BMI.
- Is a citizen, legal resident or legal immigrant 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.
- Does 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.
Becoming a surrogate mother in Tennessee is one of the most rewarding experiences.
Surrogate mothers receive the following surrogate pay and benefits:
• Surrogates from Georgia get paid up to $55,000, inclusive of all compensation and benefits (see all Compensation and benefits)
• 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 journey coordination team and licensed social worker who will be by your side every step of the way
• Connecting with other surrogates across the country, and being part of an active surrogate community
Surrogacy is practiced in Tennessee, and Circle has worked successfully with women from the state. According to Tennessee law, the process to establish parentage in the state of Tennessee is based on gender, marital status, and genetic links to the expected child. The statute focuses on the best interests of the child, which has resulted in Tennessee courts concluding that it is against the child’s best interest to not have a legal mother. Therefore, unless the petitioning intended parents are a heterosexual couple (married or unmarried) who are both genetically related to the child, the courts permit only for the paternity of the biological father to be established pre-birth, resulting in the birth certificate showing the biological father with the carrier.
What does this mean for surrogate mothers? Even though the gestational carrier's name can appear on the birth certificate, a second parent adoption by a second intended parent must be completed in Tennessee or in the home state or country of the intended parents to permanently amend the birth certificate and remove the carrier’s name and replace it with that of the second intended parent. A single, male intended parent will have a birth certificate listing the carrier as the “mother.” Some counties require in-person hearings, though some judges have been flexible in allowing parties to appear by phone.
As stated above, Circle has successfully worked with women from Tennessee as surrogate mothers. Once legal work is complete, parents' names are successfully on the birth certificate and the gestational carrier's name is removed.
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