Who is checked?
Every adult who lives in your household is background checked, not only you. That usually means you and your spouse or partner. It also includes an adult child who lives at home, a parent who lives with you, or a roommate.
The reason is simple. Intended parents are trusting your home with their pregnancy, and later your family will be part of the story of how their child was born. A background check on the whole household protects them, and it protects you. It confirms that the people around you during the pregnancy are who they say they are and have no history that would put the journey at risk.
The check is one of the screening steps at Private Label Surrogacy, alongside the intake interview, the records review by Mark Silverberg, DDS, MD, the insurance review and a psychological evaluation by an independent licensed professional.
What searches are run?
PLS orders the check through an independent screening vendor. The vendor PLS uses, and the exact searches it runs, are being confirmed with Nancy Block, RN.
| Search type | Scope | Who is covered | Disqualifying findings | Reviewed findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal history | County, state and federal records | Every adult in the household | Any felony; any offense involving a child; domestic violence; a pending criminal case | A single old misdemeanor, such as a traffic offense |
| Sex offender registry | National registry search | Every adult in the household | Any registration | None |
| Identity and address | Confirms name, date of birth and current address | Every adult in the household | False or inconsistent identity | Recent moves or name changes, explained |
| Credit or civil records | In some cases only | As needed | Reviewed with Nancy Block, RN | Reviewed with Nancy Block, RN |
You sign a consent form for the check, and each adult in your household signs one too.
What is disqualifying and what is reviewed?
Some findings end an application. Others are looked at in context.
Disqualifying. A felony conviction, any offense involving a child, domestic violence, or a pending criminal case is disqualifying. A pending case is a timing issue: once it is resolved, the answer may change.
Reviewed. A single old misdemeanor, such as a traffic offense, is reviewed and usually is not disqualifying.
DUI. A single old DUI is reviewed case by case. A pattern of DUIs, or a recent conviction, is disqualifying, because it bears on alcohol use during a pregnancy.
If you know something is on your record, say so at the intake interview. It is much easier to discuss an old misdemeanor up front than to explain it after the report arrives. Telling PLS early does not count against you. Leaving it out can.
The full list of what rules a candidate out, and what can change with time, is on what disqualifies you from being a surrogate.
Are intended parents background checked too?
Yes. PLS runs the same background check on intended parents before matching. You are trusting them with a pregnancy, just as they are trusting you.
Both sides see a summary of the results before the match meeting. You will not see every line of the report, but you will know the check was done and that nothing in it stood in the way of the match. Read more about how matching works.
How long does it take and who pays?
Results usually take three to ten business days. The check runs alongside the rest of screening, so it rarely holds anything up on its own.
The intended parents pay for the background check. It is one of the third-party screening costs on their side of the journey. It costs you nothing.
What if a household member refuses?
Every adult in your household is checked, so a household member who refuses means the check cannot be completed. PLS cannot move your application forward without a completed check on every adult in the home.
Talk to the people you live with before you apply. Most refusals come from worry about privacy rather than from anything on a record. It helps to explain who sees the results: the screening vendor and PLS, with only a summary shared with the intended parents.
If someone in your home will not consent, or if your household is about to change, tell your case manager. Sometimes the answer is to wait until a living situation settles. If you are single or not living with a partner, the check covers only the adults who are there; see being a surrogate if you are single.
When you are ready, start with the prescreen: see if you qualify.
Sources
- Private Label Surrogacy screening process, pending confirmation by Nancy Block, RN.
- American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), recommendations for practices using gestational carriers.