Golden Surrogacy
Northbrook, IllinoisAbout
Golden Surrogacy is a premium U.S. surrogacy agency established in 2013 by Intended Parents Frank and Adam Golden following their own path to fatherhood through surrogacy. Golden provides personalized Surrogate recruiting and matching, comprehensive screening coordination, and complete Surrogacy Journey management for Intended Parents and Surrogates across the United States. Our boutique approach emphasizes selective matching, continuity of care, transparency, and personal attention throughout each journey. Families are supported by an experienced team familiar with the medical, legal, financial, logistical, and relationship milestones involved in gestational surrogacy.
- Established in 2013, supporting Intended Parents and Surrogates nationwide
- Personalized matching, enhanced screening, and complete journey management
- Competitive Surrogate compensation and transparent Intended Parent program options
ServicesUpdated by agency · Sep 2026
Escrow managementUpdated by agency · Sep 2026
Surrogate screeningUpdated by agency · Sep 2026
FeesUpdated by agency · Sep 2026
- The lowest estimated total cost of a surrogacy journey, including the agency fee and other expected expenses. Does not include fertility clinic-related expenses.
- $230,000
- The highest estimated total cost of a surrogacy journey, including the agency fee and other expected expenses. Does not include fertility clinic-related expenses.
- The listing owner has not provided this information, or it is not publicly available.
- The fee charged to intended parents for its services and support throughout the surrogacy journey.
- $65,000
- An additional fee charged to intended parents who live outside the United States.
- The listing owner has not provided this information, or it is not publicly available.
Surrogate compensationUpdated by agency · Sep 2026
- The starting base compensation for a surrogate on her first journey.
- $70,000
- Additional compensation for surrogates who live in California. “None” means the agency confirmed there is no supplement.
- None
- The starting base compensation for a surrogate who has completed a previous journey.
- $75,000
- Additional compensation for surrogates who live in California. “None” means the agency confirmed there is no supplement.
- None
TimelinesUpdated by agency · Sep 2026
- The typical estimated time for intended parents to be matched with a surrogate.
- 12 months
- The typical estimated time for a surrogate to be matched with intended parents.
- 2 months
- The typical time from matching with a surrogate to the birth of the child.
- 24 months
Memberships
Our experience with Golden was superb. A surrogacy journey requires a lot to navigate for IPs and Golden helped us efficiently and compassionately in all questions big and small. They matched us with an incredible surrogate/GC and it was an extra bonus to get to know her and her amazing family along the way. Team Golden and especially Kristina is the best.
There arent enough positive things I could say about Golden Surrogacy and the amazing team that makes everything work so smoothly. From the professionalism, to the encouragement and guidance, the Monthly check-in to make sure Im ok, and the emotional support when my first transfer wasnt successful and now after my second successful journey. Golden Helped make my dream of carrying a child for someone else a reality and Im so glad I chose them to take this leap of faith with!! Frank is the best and if you are lucky enough to meet Kristina just know you have the best team ever!!Thank you Golden!-Aneicia B…
We had a great experience with Golden. The team was incredibly hands-on and helped us navigate the entire process with ease. They matched us with a wonderful surrogate whom we loved working with, and we felt well-supported from start to finish. Our baby boy was born in March 2026, and we are so grateful for the agency's guidance. Highly recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable, attentive team. We had such an amazing experience that we are planning another journey with them next year.
I have recently completed a journey as a gestational carrier for Golden Surrogacy. My experience was absolutely amazing. From my intake coordinator all the way through to Kristina with care team, I always felt cared for. The intended parents I was matched with were an absolute dream! It has been such a joyous experience, and probably the coolest thing Ive ever done. If you're considering surrogacy, I highly recommend Golden!
Golden Surrogacy has been an absolute rock for us over the past three years. Our first journey with them began right in the middle of the pandemic—a stressful time for anyone, but they handled it with steady care. Our journey started with heartbreak after we experienced a miscarriage with our first surrogate. But Golden was there for us every step of the way, and we stayed with the same surrogate, eventually welcoming our son. Their compassion and persistence really carried us through. And just a month ago, thanks to another amazing surrogate in another state, we welcomed our daughter. They made sure everything ran like clockwork—turning a process that can take a long time into just a couple of months. Every deadline they set was met even faster than we imagined. We signed up in November 2024 and by January 2026, we welcomed our daughter. The standout thing about Golden Surrogacy is their spot-on matching. Seriously, they nailed it—every time. As an international couple, we had some extra complexity, but they bent over backwards to find the best solutions. They were always reachable. Their matching is top-tier, but beyond that, they made sure we had the right clinics, egg donors, insurance—everything. They were consistently available, creative in helping an international couple, and in every way, they helped us build the family we dreamed of—twice! They truly had our back through everything, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the family they helped us build. Golden Surrogacy truly guided us through extraordinary times.…
We had a beautiful experience with Golden Surrogacy. They were kind, patient and above all made a complicated process manageable. We highly recommend Golden Surrogacy. They connected us with a wonderful surrogate and helped to make our family complete.
We are incredibly grateful to Golden for everything they have done for our family. From the very beginning, their team was consistently supportive, knowledgeable, and compassionate, guiding us through every step of the surrogacy process with care and clarity. They were always respectful of our time and schedules, responsive when we had questions, and—most importantly—deeply considerate of our gestational carrier’s feelings and wellbeing. It was clear throughout the journey that Golden truly values everyone involved and approaches this work with empathy and integrity. As a same-sex couple, we faced some particularly complex and stressful legal situations, and Golden was instrumental in helping us navigate those moments with confidence and reassurance. Their experience, advocacy, and steady support made an enormous difference during times, ( many times!) felt overwhelming. We could not have asked for a better partner in this journey. Golden helped make a challenging process feel manageable, and we wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone considering surrogacy.…
I absolutely LOVE Golden!! I’ve worked with a previous agency and talked to other surrogates from other agencies, and Golden surpasses any expectation I’ve ever had. They are amazing and caring. And organized!
As Intended Parents we had an absolute Five-Star experience with Golden, from the matching process, to navigating medical screenings, travel, legal, transfer, monitoring, delivery, etc. Golden was there at every step of the way and always very accessible and helpful with literal 24/7 availability leading up to the delivery of our son in late June. Thank you, again, to our whole team - we're not yet sure how or if the stars will align for a sibling journey, but we wouldn't think of doing it again without Golden's support!…
I worked with this agency for two separate journeys as a gestational carrier with the same couple. Both teams were very personable and supportive. They did a great job matching me with a wonderful couple and made the process feel very smooth. Would highly recommend.
I recently finished my first surrogacy journey with Golden and truly could not have asked for a better team to work with!!! From start to finish, every single person I had the pleasure of working with was absolutely amazing, especially my coordinator Nicole. They were all SO on top of things and extremely timely with every response - which I feel like is rare in customer service today and something I greatly appreciate! I’m talking minutes, not even hours or days for responses which is crazy. It seems like every employee was very carefully hired as they had such a great flow with each other and all had the same kind demeanor. They never made me feel as though I was a bother, even though I can definitely ask too many questions (LOL) and if they didn’t know the answer to something they always made sure to find out. I was matched with a wonderful couple and everything went very smoothly! I never felt bugged or bothered by the agency or the couple but still had enough support if I needed anything. If I decide to pursue a second surrogacy journey Golden will be the only place I decide to go!!🩷…
Our experience with this agency was extremely disappointing. The professionalism and competence during the actual surrogacy process fell far below expectations. While the initial sales and onboarding were polished and persuasive, once we signed the agreement and paid, the quality of support deteriorated sharply. Communication was poor, guidance was lacking, and the people managing our case did not demonstrate the skill or experience needed to handle complex situations. We often felt we were managing things ourselves, and at times the agency’s involvement made matters more stressful instead of helping. If you're evaluating agencies, we strongly advise looking elsewhere — especially if you value consistent, experienced, and reliable support throughout your surrogacy journey. The marketing doesn't reflect the actual service you receive. Corrections to the agency’s response: IVF clinic: We changed clinics only after our doctor at the original clinic passed away. This was a carefully considered decision, not abrupt. The provider assigned to us after our doctor’s passing left the clinic shortly after we moved on. The new clinic we chose was just 20 miles from our surrogate, which made travel far easier for her. The outcome from this decision was significantly better. Surrogate medical fit: We agree our surrogate was wonderful on a personal level, but unfortunately she was not a medical fit. She was diagnosed with hydrosalpinx and adenomyosis. Even after surgery, multiple providers advised she would not be a suitable candidate for transfer. This very difficult decision was made only after extensive consultation. Agency performance: The agency emphasizes hours logged, but what truly matters is impact. Their involvement resulted in significant time lost. As outlined above, there are serious concerns with who they hire and/or how they train their staff. Competence—not logged hours—was what we needed, and it was lacking.…
Frank Golden and his staff were very helpful all the way through. I called him many times early on with lots of questions and he always took my call and was prompt. Our Surrogate was a lovely lady with whom we've established a nice relationship with and will probably discuss having another baby with her and the guidance of Golden Surrogacy again possibly in another year or two.
Agency Review: Golden Surrogacy Perspective: Gestational Carrier 06/2023: Started my first surrogacy journey with Golden Surrogacy with the sweetest intake specialist, Sara. About a week in to going through my medical records I was presented with an IP profile that I was told seemed like the perfect match for me. Upon reviewing it, I fell in love with the couple instantly and we were penciled in as a potential match assuming I passed medical. 07/2023: Psych evaluation and home evaluation/visit was performed with Katie who was very sweet. More paperwork was gathered in this month (paystubs, work schedules, insurance, etc.) 08/2023: I had my match call with my IPs. The following day we officially matched and signed matching documents/set up escrow and started the process to go to the IVF clinic for medical clearance. 10/2023 Went to IP’s IVF clinic for in person medical screening. Alex, a program coordinator became apart of my team now and coordinated with me for booking my flight and hotel accommodations. She is amazing and made sure everything went smoothly making out a detailed itinerary for me. Two weeks after this appt I was approved by the IVF clinic. The process for legal was initiated as well as life insurance. 12/2023: By the end of this month legal was completed. We could have set up for transfer for January; however, IPs and I mutually agreed to wait for March for transfer. 01/2024: I was introduced to program manager, Kristina who also is just as amazing as Alex. 02/2024: Prepared for embryo transfer for the following month. There was some hiccups with IVF clinic changing policies of dates when they would do transfer. The Golden team advocated strongly for my IPs and I to still be able to do transfer the following month and to accommodate that we just switched from a natural cycle to a medicated one. I was involved in this process the entire time to make sure I was on board with the switch. 03/2024: Embryo transfer! Alex seamlessly set up travel accommodations for us. Open communication via text/phone call was available through this entire process (and journey). 04/2024: embryo transfer was a success. Positive pregnancy test and positive first and second ultrasound. 05/2024: released from IVF clinic to my OB. 12/2024: Birth of surrobabe! 🥳 I have been pumping and shipping breast milk to IPs ever since. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The Golden team was always a text or phone call away. They made me feel like family and I could always talk to someone 24/7. I couldn’t have asked for a better IP match. We clicked on every level and I feel spoiled with how well this journey has gone! I give this agency a 10/10 and would definitely recommend! 💯…
I used Golden for my first ever surrogacy journey and it was an amazing experience. The matching process was seamless and each team along the way explained the process thoroughly and there was always someone available for questions. Everyone was supportive and they all treated me with kindness and respect. I highly recommend Golden Surrogacy.
Our experience has been wonderful. We couldn't be happier with the Golden journey which was filled with support, sensitivity, and the highest professional standards.
Golden was an amazing agency to work with. They were beyond kind, supportive, and knowledgeable. I couldn't imagine going through surrogacy with a different agency. I would 1000% recommend their agency to anyone!
I was a surrogate for an amazing couple and had a great group of people supporting me along the way! If you have any interest in becoming a surrogate i recommend golden because they were always there to help answer question and give me all the information and guidance along the journey! Thank you again for a great experience!
Golden surrogacy was the only agency that didn't make me feel like a number. Every employee that I talked to there made me feel at ease and so comfortable with my decision to become a surrogate. They treat you like family. If you have any doubts about becoming a surrogate, they will make sure you are completely comfortable and excited about making your decision. Every step of the way was so easy and that is because of Golden. You will not regret your decision to go with this agency either as a surrogate or intended parent. I 100% recommend them to anyone and everyone. You won't be disappointed with this life changing decision!…
Great agency! Always available and eager to answer any questions I had. Every single person I interacted with was very nice. I would absolutely recommend them to anyone interested in surrogacy.
I highly recommend going through Golden. As a first time surrogate, I didn’t know what to expect or how to do anything. Golden was there every step of the way. If they didn’t have an answer they would find out and get back to me. I didn’t feel like I was going through an agency. I received hand written cards and flowers that had the sweetest heart felt words. The owner is part of the team as well which makes the journey feel more personal. I highly recommend using this agency whether you’re wanting to do Surrogacy or Welcome a child. Thank you guys from the bottom of my heart.…
After years of set backs and navigating the complexity of family planning; Golden Surrogacy supported us to achieve our goal. Staff members were transparent and supportive through the entire process. The directness of some of the staff members helped us to make some really difficult decisions about our journey. We are so happy to have been able to grow our family through such a special experience. It would not have been possible without the support and flexibility of Golden Surrogacy. Specifically, If you are an LGBTQ family wanting to grow your family, this agency is aware of nuances every step of the way.…
I truly cannot say enough positive things regarding my experience as a Gestational Carrier with Golden Surrogacy. From my very first informational call in early 2021 to the post-delivery check in late 2022, each member of the team was compassionate, knowledgeable and I could tell genuinely cared about both myself and my IPs. They were fully invested in my journey and made me feel like an individual and not a just number. The first IP profile they sent me was the most perfect match in every way. All logistics throughout the journey were handled effortlessly from obtaining medical records, medical clearance, travel arrangements, etc. all the way up through delivery and arrangements with the delivering hospital to ensure they had what they needed and we knew what to expect on the big day. I often asked myself, how do they make this seem so simple when I know being a GC is so complex? All of this to say, if I were to do it all over again, I would choose Golden every single time. My most heartfelt thanks to the entire team for helping make this journey of a life lifetime such a wonderful experiences.…
We worked with Golden Surrogacy in 2018, and our boy was born in 2020. He is almost 3 years old. Golden Surrogacy is really sweet, they provide very detailed service, and all the crews there are so friendly, always very responsive. They helped us to find a perfect surrogate mother, with whom we still keep in touch now. And also Golden Surrogacy sends out so sweet gifts, we really feel lucky to have their service in the journey of our lives.
I completed my journey as a surrogate with Gold Surrogacy. They were amazing throughout the entire journey and even after the birth of the baby they continued to check in and see if I needed anything. It felt very personal. I would highly recommend them.
Golden surrogacy is so warm and welcoming! Throughout the entire surrogate journey they were right there by my side. They take the time to answer any question and help with any issue that may occur during the surrogate process. If I decide to become a surrogate again, this is defiantly an agency I’d love to work with again!
I was a surrogate with Golden and had a wonderful experience. They found me the perfect match (a family that I adore and am so grateful to have helped on their journey to parenthood). I felt supported and well informed through the entire process.
Love love love this agency! I completed two surrogate journeys with them and had an amazing experience.
Golden surrogacy is the absolute best! My husband and I interviewed with a larger agency prior to Golden and were very impressed once we met with Frank and his team. Their personalization and attention to detail were unmatched. Everyone that we worked with really cared about our journey and our success and were available at any time for anything and everything that we needed. They were extremely knowledgeable and made us feel very comfortable with all of the various decisions we had to make along the way. Golden matched us with the most amazing surrogate that we are still in touch with 2.5 years later. There is no way we could have picked a better human to carry our baby girl for us. Golden helped us to bring our perfect daughter into our lives and for that we are forever grateful. We would highly recommend Golden Surrogacy to anyone looking for a surrogacy agency. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts!…
My husband and I have a tremendous amount of gratitude for this agency. After interviewing many others the choice was clear once we spoke directly with Mr. Golden. He's thorough, takes his time, and explains everything in a much more granular and transparent way than what we heard from other places. You can tell he cares about making sure his customers are well informed over just saying what we wanted to hear. The matching process isn't super quick but that was explained up front. This is a result of their selectivity and lengthy process for screening surrogates. We started with Golden Surrogacy having realistic timeline expectations given to us from the very beginning before we signed or paid anything. There's so much that can go wrong if you're not paired with the right person and we understood this. In the end it was worth the wait. Zero issues with our surrogate. She passed our doctor's examination with flying colors and we had instant success on the first embryo transfer. I know this isn't always the case for everyone but we were extremely fortunate. Thank you, thank you!…
I went through Golden Surrogacy twice over the span of 4 years in order to accomplish my surrogacy goals. I am extremely thankful for Frank and his staff for making everything possible. They have all been nothing short of amazing since day one! I have two perfect children now and my family is complete.
I completed my first journey with Golden Surrogacy in December 2019. My experience was everything I hoped for and more! My coordinator was involved and kept me informed every step of the way. She checked on me frequently, wished me luck before appts, let me know what to expect every step of the way. I feel that Golden did a great job choosing profiles during the matching phase, and making sure we would all be a good fit. My Intended Parents were perfect, and made the journey that much more enjoyable. My first journey was a very smooth process and I’m so glad I chose to work with them. I am in the beginning stages of starting my second Surrogacy journey, and I am excited to be working with Golden once again!…
I researched and contacted multiple agencies before deciding to use Golden as a gestational carrier. They stuck out by far with their knowledge of the process and how personable their staff is. All the steps with seamless with their help. They constantly check in and answer all questions timely. I couldn’t be happier with them! I will definitely be using them again in the future!
As a surrogate I highly recommend Golden Surrogacy, they are an amazing team to work with, I had a great experience since the first time I was contacted for the prescreening process and through out the hole journey, they are all so professional, friendly and caring. They walked me through the hole process and were always available to answer all my questions and really make me feel like I was part of their family, always checking on me making sure I was okay. I'm really happy that I choose them!
I absolutely loved the team of people whom I worked with. The family I was honored to bless was amazing. Golden matched me perfectly and made sure I had the best care. I highly recommended them!
When I first started my journey to be a surrogate I researched a few agencies. With my first contact with Laura at Golden, I knew this was the agency that I wanted to work with. From the application process to post-delivery, Laura was always there with all things I needed from support and guidance or just to check on how I was doing. I am so thankful for my coordinator. As well as the entire staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. Even the founders were very approachable and would reach out to me personally just to see how I was doing.…
Golden surrogacy was great. They were very supportive through everything. When my husband and I visited Chicago we got to met Frank and Juan. They are great people. If I had any questions or concerns they were there for me all the way. This was my first journey and I am getting ready to do my 2nd journey with the same family I carried for the first time. The couple I carried for were great and we have a great relationship now. I would recommend the company to anyone the is interested in being a surrogate.…
My husband and I started with Golden Surrogacy near the end of 2016. They sent us to Dr. Mark Leondires of RMA-Connecticut, who was also quite nice to work with and graciously accepted us into his program. Our first child was born in early 2018, and we almost immediately began our second surrogacy. In October our recent pregnancy concluded and we now have two healthy little ones at home. Frank and his team are extraordinary and our hearts are filled with deep joy.
Frank, Adam and their entire staff is the best. I went thru "five" other agencies. Most were larger in size, but were focused on collecting their fees. Once these other agencies received the money. they rarely provided any follow up (6 weeks without a response). Dealing with Frank and Golden Surrogacy was the great. They took the time to contact me and to provide follow up on all of my questions and concerns. Golden Surrogacy introduced me to a wonderful surrogate agency and I was blessed with a beautiful son (Wolfgang). If you are considering children thru surrogacy - you must speak to agency!…
Golden Surrogacy is exactly that: Golden! I did years of research, spoke with quite a few different surrogacy coordinators, and the very first conversation I had with Shelbi at Golden, I knew they were going to be my choice for an agency. After going over the initial requirements and making plenty of jokes, I knew I would enjoy every step of the way if Shelbi and Golden were on my side. I was drawn to Golden because the owners are parents thanks to the surrogacy process. They know the ins and outs because they've experienced it personally, twice. All the reviews I read were wonderful. They have the family feel that small businesses have, though they are busy doing BIG things. Shelbi, Frank, Adam, and the rest of the Golden family walked me through the entire process, step by step, from medical clearances, to psych evaluations, to matching, to contracts, to meds, to making appointments, escrow, hiccups with hospitals and lab companies. Before delivery, Golden set up a conference call with the labor and delivery department of our hospital to ensure everything would be as smooth as possible for us. We had an issue with my lost wages wording in our contract, and Golden went above and beyond to help get everything straightened out with the escrow company and the IPs. It took a couple of days, but I didnt have to stress about it at all, because they took care of it. Delivery day, Golden checked with my support person often. The icing on the cake was the day after, Shelbi drove 6 hours to the hospital I delivered at to visit us. I don't feel like that's standard procedure for most agencies, and was an absolutely amazing gesture that I'll never forget. Even post partum, Shelbi and Golden was checking on me daily. I'm over 4 months post partum now. All of my medical bills have been taken care of. I received a couple of bills for the baby, and sent Golden a picture of it and they got it taken care of right away. I was blown away by the amount of time, effort, and care they put in to ensuring our entire process was as smooth as could be. 10 out of 10 would recommend using Golden Surrogacy.…
Every member of the Golden Surrogacy team is absolutely amazing! My coordinator was there for me every step of the way. Naturally I had a lot of questions along the way and they were always patient and helpful and encourage me to keep asking questions along the way. They made the whole process of being a surrogate as stress free as possible!! I love Golden Surrogacy and wouldn't use anyone else.
Hi everyone, I just completed my second journey with Golden Surrogacy. I can't begin to explain how amazing they have been. Right from the beginning Frank was asking what I was looking for in my next journey. They called me to let me know they had a couple they wanted me to meet and it was the perfect match. They have always been available and I never had any issues getting my questions answered same day and never had any issues with Bill’s being paid on time. It felt very personable as my coordinator would reach out after every appointment to see if I needed anything. My IP's are also amazing and we have a great relationship.…
The Golden Surrogacy team is so awesome! As a 1st time surrogate they made me so comfortable with the entire process from day one with a ton of support and guidance. We had an absolutely amazing experience helping a couple of really spectacular people bring their dream to life and we cannot thank the GS team for the opportunity, but we'll try😊
Terrible service!!!! If I could give them a zero star I would! I received a discriminating email from Golden Surrogacy on August 24, 2018. The email said that "your communication level in English is not as strong as we prefer our Intended Parents to have".
Absolutely fantastic!! ❤ They are quick and professional when getting information to me. They understand how stressful it can be when trying to grow a family and take care of their surrogates. I had a very stressfree experience with them and would do it 10 times over! Frank, Adam, and Laura is my GOLDEN TEAM and I look forward to my next journey with them!
Absolutely hands down the best Surrogacy Agency! They make it so easy to follow your dream of being a surrogate, hard working, honest, trust worthy agency. They make your journey stress free and make you feel like family. Thankful that this agency has been so supportive thru my surrogacies. I am on my second journey and I can believe it could get better, but it has. I just completed my 2nd surrogacy and it was absolutely amazing! Golden Surrogacy again made this a wonderful experience. Thanks so much Frank, Adam & Team Golden!! You are the BEST :)…
I could not have been better matched in my surrogacy journey. I felt supported by Golden Surrogacy every step of the way. They are tentative. Responsive. And personal. I couldn't be happier with my surrogacy journey and agency!
Working with Frank and his team has been amazing. Not only the best people to work with but just awesome people from the heart. what they are doing to help families is truly wonderful and I wouldn't work with anyone else. They are always there for you and when picking someone to help you build your family your in the best hands with them. They treat you with love like your their own family. Your the best Frank!!
Everything I had previously read online about Golden Surrogacy contributed to why I went with this surrogacy agency. After speaking with Frank during my consultation I really gained a sense that he cares about what he's doing. His passion and knowledge are evident. I'm glad that my research led me down this path. I cannot thank them enough for what they have given me!
The WORST. I tried to be surrogate here after I was rejected from another center but working with some young guy that had no idea what he was doing was impossible. Stay away!
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