What is SEEDS and who belongs to it?
SEEDS is the Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy. It is a US nonprofit whose members are agencies and professionals working in egg donation and surrogacy.
It exists because most of this field is not licensed by any government. Fertility clinics answer to medical standards. Attorneys answer to state bars. Escrow agents answer to their own licensing. But in most states, nobody licenses the agency that recruits surrogates, matches families and coordinates the journey. SEEDS fills part of that gap with published ethical standards that member agencies agree to follow.
SEEDS members include egg donation agencies, surrogacy agencies and related professionals. Confirm the current membership categories with SEEDS.
For the wider picture of who regulates what, see are surrogacy agencies regulated?
What do the SEEDS standards cover?
The SEEDS standards set out how surrogates and egg donors should be recruited, screened, compensated and supported, and how intended parents' funds should be handled.
In plain terms, they address five areas:
| Standard area | What it addresses | How PLS meets it |
|---|---|---|
| Screening | Medical and psychological screening of surrogates consistent with professional guidance | Physician review of every candidate's records by Mark Silverberg, DDS, MD; psychological evaluation by an independent licensed professional; background check; insurance review; clinic screening under ASRM guidance |
| Compensation | Fair, disclosed compensation that does not pressure a surrogate into a decision | Total package published first, then base compensation; written into the gestational carrier agreement and paid from independent escrow |
| Escrow and funds | Separation of client funds from agency funds | Independent licensed escrow; PLS never holds client money; parents may choose their own escrow company |
| Advertising | Truthful advertising, with no misleading claims | No success-rate claims it cannot document and no superlatives the agency awards itself; results published in the open |
| Support | Ongoing support for surrogates and donors, including access to counseling | Case managers who have been surrogates; mental-health support; at least six nutrition consults with a registered dietitian; extended life insurance |
Confirm each standard area against the current published SEEDS standards and link to the SEEDS standards page.
What does membership require, and what can be enforced?
A member agency agrees, in writing, to follow the SEEDS standards. That commitment is what membership means.
Enforcement is through the society itself. Member agencies can be reported for breaches. Describe the SEEDS complaint and review process as SEEDS publishes it.
SEEDS cannot fine an agency, close it, or recover your money. It is a professional society, not a regulator. Its power is the commitment an agency makes, and the record that follows if the agency breaks it.
What membership does not guarantee
Membership does not certify outcomes. It does not mean an agency cannot fail, that its surrogates will all match quickly, or that every journey will end in a birth.
What it tells you is narrower and still useful: the agency has agreed in writing to standards you can read and hold it to.
So use membership as a starting point, then verify the things that protect you directly:
- Where your money is held. Ask for the escrow company's name and license. Check that it is independent of the agency.
- Who screens surrogates. Ask who reads the medical records, and whether the psychological evaluation is done by an independent licensed professional.
- Who represents each side. Each side should have its own independent attorney.
The failures of 2025 and 2026, including the Surro Connections collapse and the SEAM escrow collapse of more than $16 million, are a reminder to check escrow directly at any agency. See how escrow works.
What is PLS's history with SEEDS?
Private Label Surrogacy (PLS) has been closely involved with SEEDS for years.
- Nancy Block, RN, the founder, is a former President and executive board member of SEEDS.
- She received the 2018 SEEDS Shining Star Award.
- Jo Ann Levitan, Director of Operations, served on a SEEDS committee from 2017 to 2025.
Confirm PLS's current SEEDS membership status and the years of Nancy Block's presidency.
The same commitments show in how PLS works day to day. PLS refers to independent licensed professionals on purpose, rather than employing psychologists, attorneys or escrow in-house, to avoid conflicts of interest. Every surrogate's records are read by a physician before her profile is shown. And surrogates are treated as partners, with their support written into the agreement. See surrogate medical screening.
How do you check whether an agency is a member?
Three steps.
- Ask the agency directly. Ask whether it is a current SEEDS member, since when, and whether anyone on staff has served on a SEEDS board or committee.
- Check with SEEDS. SEEDS lists its member agencies on its website. Confirm the member directory location.
- Read the standards. Then ask the agency to show you how it meets each one: escrow, screening, compensation, advertising and support.
An agency that takes its standards seriously will walk you through them, line by line, without being pushed. If it cannot say how it meets a standard, treat that as an answer too. For more questions to ask, see questions to ask a surrogacy agency.
Sources
- SEEDS, Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy, published ethical standards for member agencies.
- ASRM (American Society for Reproductive Medicine), guidance on gestational carriers. https://www.asrm.org