The journey to surrogacy is one often driven by equal parts altruism and ambition. For the prospective surrogate, it’s a path paved with complex decisions, deep emotional ties, and transformative moments.
At the heart of this process lies one of the most significant and intimate choices: finding the right intended parents.
But how does one navigate this intricate dance of matching with potential parents, particularly in South Carolina? Enter Palmetto Surrogacy—a dedicated surrogacy program that believes the relationship between surrogate and intended parents is as important as the surrogacy itself.
We approach this life-changing partnership with precision, empathy, and a deep understanding of the delicate balance involved.
Finding intended parents isn’t just a task on a checklist. It’s a mutual decision—one filled with weighty considerations, legal frameworks, and an abundance of emotional insight.
Palmetto Surrogacy ensures that both the surrogate and the intended parents actively choose each other. This mutual selection is fundamental to the agency’s approach and sets them apart in a crowded field.
However, as anyone who has embarked on this journey will tell you, finding the perfect intended parents is no small feat. It’s the starting point of an intricate process that involves much more than filling out forms and attending meetings. It involves building a personal relationship, cultivating trust, and ensuring both parties are on the same page.
So, how do you find intended parents in South Carolina?
Here’s a step-by-step guide to understanding Palmetto Surrogacy’s process, alongside a broader look at how surrogacy partnerships come to fruition.
Determining Your Preferences for Intended Parents
Before the journey truly begins, a prospective surrogate must first define her preferences for the intended parents. Surrogacy is a deeply personal experience. It often involves a year or more of close interaction, shared medical milestones, and a bond that can last a lifetime. Therefore, surrogates should have a clear understanding of what kind of intended parents they are comfortable working with.
At Palmetto Surrogacy, this decision-making process is led by your personal case manager, who will help you explore various scenarios. Are you comfortable working with a single parent? Would you prefer to assist a same-sex couple? Perhaps you’re hoping to find a family that lives close by, allowing for regular in-person meetings.
Your case manager ensures that you feel empowered in making these important decisions, providing insights into how each choice may affect your surrogacy journey. After all, this is a life-changing experience for both you and the intended parents. Ensuring compatibility on multiple fronts is crucial to a successful surrogacy journey.
Crafting Your Surrogate Profile
Once you’ve outlined your preferences, it’s time for Palmetto Surrogacy to create your surrogate profile. Much like a dating profile (though with far more weighty implications), this document allows intended parents to learn more about you, but rest assured, Palmetto Surrogacy takes your privacy seriously.
We do not post your profile on our website for non-clients to be able to review. Instead, your private profile is only provided to clients who have formally hired Palmetto Surrogacy, ensuring your privacy is protected.
Your surrogate profile will include key details about your health, family life, and surrogacy goals. Intended parents need to know what drives your decision to become a gestational surrogate, why have you chosen this path, and how you envision your relationship with the intended family. In addition to answering these questions, the profile will feature photos of you and your family, offering potential parents a glimpse into your world.
The goal of this step is to give prospective intended parents a well-rounded view of who you are, helping them determine whether you might be a good match. Likewise, you’ll soon have the opportunity to review the intended parent profiles and see what led them to pursue surrogacy and if their values, lifestyle, and surrogacy expectations align with yours.
Viewing Intended Parent Profiles: The First Step to a Perfect Match
As much as you are deciding on the right intended parents, they are also choosing you. With Palmetto Surrogacy’s help, potential intended parents craft a profile letter that you can review. This letter introduces them—sharing their story, motivations for pursuing surrogacy, and, most importantly, the values they hold dear.
The intended parent profiles will often include pictures, giving you a sense of who they are beyond the written word. And here’s where Palmetto Surrogacy’s unique touch shines through: while other programs might make these decisions for you, Palmetto Surrogacy involves you in the process at every step.
You are encouraged to engage deeply when an intended parent profile is presented to you, taking the time to reflect on whether this family feels like a good fit.
Once you feel comfortable with a family that has been presented to you, you’ll move on to the next phase—a meeting that could very well mark the beginning of a significant partnership.
The First Meeting: More Than Just a First Impression
Meeting potential intended parents for the first time can feel a bit like a first date: exciting, nerve-wracking, and filled with the possibility of something meaningful. Unlike a casual encounter, however, this meeting carries the weight of a life-changing journey.
At Palmetto Surrogacy, this initial meeting is carefully orchestrated to ensure both parties have the opportunity to connect authentically. Whether you meet in one of our South Carolina offices or another neutral location, the meeting provides a space to explore whether you’re the right match. The Palmetto Surrogacy team will also be present for this meeting to help guide the process and conversation.
What makes this meeting pivotal? It’s the chance to go beyond the surface. You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions that matter to you, such as: Why did the intended parents choose surrogacy? What kind of relationship do they envision during and after the pregnancy? Are there any specific expectations for the delivery room experience?
Of course, you’ll get to share your own thoughts as well—why you became a gestational carrier, what kind of support you expect, and how you see the surrogacy unfolding.
This meeting isn’t a commitment, however. If, after the conversation, either party feels unsure, the search continues. Palmetto Surrogacy emphasizes the importance of finding the perfect intended parents—a match where both parties feel confident moving forward.
Legal Considerations: Contracts, Lawyers, and Screening
Once you’ve found your ideal match, the next step involves the often-overlooked but vital legal process. Palmetto Surrogacy, like most reputable surrogacy programs, ensures that all parties undergo comprehensive legal screening. This includes crafting a surrogacy contract that outlines the rights, responsibilities, and expectations of both the surrogate and the intended parents. While this might seem like a daunting step, it’s essential to protect everyone involved.
In addition to legal contracts, both parties will undergo medical and psychological screenings as part of this journey. Surrogates and intended parents alike must meet specific health criteria, as determined by a fertility clinic. The screenings ensure that all parties are prepared, both physically and emotionally, for the surrogacy journey.
The Emotional Side of Surrogacy: Building a Strong Personal Relationship
While the legalities are important, what often matters most is the personal relationship between surrogate and intended parent. Open communication is key to a smooth surrogacy experience. After all, this is a journey filled with intimate moments: doctor’s visits, the embryo transfer, the delivery room, and everything in between. It’s essential to cultivate a positive relationship built on trust and understanding.
This doesn’t mean you have to become best friends with the intended parents (though that does happen in many cases). Instead, you’re setting clear boundaries and expectations, ensuring that both sides feel respected and heard. Regular check-ins and honest conversations will help avoid any potential misunderstandings.
What Happens if a Match Isn’t the Right Fit?
Surrogacy is a complex process, and sometimes, despite everyone’s best efforts, a match doesn’t work out and is terminated pre-contract. Perhaps the in-person meeting didn’t go as planned, or maybe deeper conversations revealed fundamental differences. That’s okay. Palmetto Surrogacy makes it clear that there is no pressure to commit to a match unless you feel completely confident. You can always return to the matching process to explore other potential intended parents.
Beyond the Match: The Road Ahead
Once the contracts are signed, and the screenings are complete, the real journey begins. From medical appointments to the actual pregnancy, Palmetto Surrogacy will be there every step of the way. This includes facilitating communication between the parties and the escrow company, organizing logistics regarding medical procedures, like in vitro fertilization, and ensuring that the relationship between surrogate and intended parents remains strong.
Through every milestone—whether it’s the embryo transfer or the final push in the delivery room—Palmetto Surrogacy’s dedicated team ensures that surrogates and intended parents alike feel supported, both emotionally and practically.
The Role of Surrogacy Agencies in Ensuring Success
Choosing the right surrogacy agency or program is as crucial as finding the right intended parents. A good program not only provides a pool of prospective intended parents, but it also offers the guidance and support needed throughout the entire process. From legal advice to emotional support, Palmetto Surrogacy prides itself on being there for surrogates through thick and thin, making sure every decision—big or small—is made with care and consideration.
Summary: The Art of Finding the Perfect Intended Parents
Surrogacy is a journey like no other. It’s a path of trust, compassion, and partnership. And while finding the perfect intended parents may seem daunting at first, with the help of a reputable program like Palmetto Surrogacy, you can approach this process with confidence and clarity.
Whether it’s your first surrogacy journey or you’ve been down this road before, Palmetto Surrogacy ensures that the matching process is more than just a transaction. It’s a thoughtful, deeply personal decision—one that sets the stage for a successful surrogacy journey.
Download Our Free Guide
Are you curious about surrogacy? We’ve created a guide that answers the most frequently asked questions, like “How much do surrogates make?” “What is the age limit for surrogacy?” and “How can I become a surrogate.”
Learn everything you need to know about becoming a surrogate and how to supplement your current income by as much as $6,000 per month.

Do You Live In South Carolina?
If you live in the state of South Carolina and would like to be a surrogate (gestational carrier) for a couple struggling with fertility, click here to take a 3-minute quiz to see if you qualify to be a surrogate with Palmetto Surrogacy. Surrogates are in high demand. We would love to get you started on this fulfilling journey.