Surrogacy resources

Peer advice: Typical Steps and Decisions in the Surrogacy Process
We created this document in order to take a broad look at the crucial decisions and milestone gay men face in their pursuit of biological parenting. It outlines some of the typical steps and milestones parents go through, presented chronologically and as a decision-tree

Peer advice: Working with agencies
A document created by a group member in 2008, and was edited and updated by several of the group facilitators. It outlines the role of surrogacy agencies, the pros and cons of working with one, and tips on how to handle the search, negotiations and relationship with an agency.

Opinion: Voluntary ethical surrogacy standards are required for wider international acceptance
Dr. Doyle of CT Fertility calls surrogacy and egg donation professionals in the US to fill the void left by lack of regulation. He proposes standards to insure all parties are treated with dignity and respect, physical and psychological risks are minimized, and future consequences to all are considered.

Peer advice: Preparing for the Birth and Journey Home (UK perspective)
The birth of your child/children will be the most amazing time. To help ensure this is the case, our friends at Gay Surrogacy UK (a peer support group like ours) compiled some advice for UK and other international prospective parents.

Expert advice: Second parent adoption tax credit updates for gay parents
Melissa Brisman of Reproductive Possibilities provides clarifications about the amount and terms of the adoption tax credit LGBT parents can receive in the 2011 and 2012 tax years. While the non-biological parent (even in states where they can marry) is still be required by the federal government to adopt a child born through surrogacy, AI or IVF, at least in most cases an income tax credit is likely to cover the costs associated. In 2012 tax year the amount is slightly lower and cannot be used to get a refund if you do not owe taxes, but for the first time the credit can be carried forward for additional 5 years.

Expert advice: Adoption of USA children as a new alternative for European gays
While not widely known yet, hundreds of Europeans, many of them gay, are now parents of children adopted from the USA thanks to the 2008 Hague Adoption Convention and a 2009 amended guidance by the US Department of State. This is especially attractive to European gay men since for them there are almost no other international or domestic adoption alternatives. While outgoing adoptions, also known in the USA as "reverse commute adoptions" may be considered controversial by some, the fact is that at any given time there are over 100,000 children available for adoption in the USA Foster Care System. Michael Goldstein, a NY attorney and approved person, has supervised about a hundred of these outgoing placements since 2008, and states that "prospective adoptive parents overseas tend to be open to adoptions of ‘harder’ to place children, who may have ended up in the U.S. foster care system, but for these accepting people." Go to the article to learn more.