Family Tree Surrogacy Center, LLC is a gestational surrogacy agency located at 2305 Historic Decatur Road, Suite 100, in San Diego, California — in the Liberty Station neighborhood on the Point Loma peninsula. San Diego is home to a robust reproductive medicine community, with multiple well-established fertility clinics and a network of experienced reproductive attorneys who regularly facilitate gestational surrogacy arrangements. California's surrogacy-friendly legal climate — including provisions for pre-birth parentage orders — makes San Diego an attractive base for families pursuing third-party reproduction, whether they reside locally or are traveling from less permissive states. Families can browse additional provider options through the California fertility clinics directory.
Physicians and Clinical Team
Family Tree Surrogacy Center is a surrogacy agency, not a medical provider, and does not have physicians or embryologists on staff. The center's team consists of case managers, coordinators, and support staff who guide intended parents and gestational carriers through the surrogacy process. Medical oversight — including fertility evaluations for carriers, embryo transfer procedures, and obstetric care — is provided by the intended parents' chosen fertility clinic and the gestational carrier's obstetrician, both of which are independent of the agency. The agency facilitates introductions and coordinates communication among all parties but does not direct clinical decisions.
Services and Treatments
- Gestational carrier matching and screening
- Comprehensive psychological and background evaluations for carriers
- Case management from match through post-birth parentage establishment
- Referrals to experienced San Diego reproductive attorneys
- Coordination with IVF clinics for embryo transfer logistics
- Support for single parents, same-sex couples, and heterosexual intended parents
- Guidance on egg and sperm donation when donor gametes are needed
- Escrow and financial management referrals
- Emotional support resources for intended parents and carriers throughout the journey
Laboratory and Success Rates
As an agency, Family Tree Surrogacy Center does not conduct laboratory testing or embryology services, and does not independently report clinical outcome data. IVF success rates and embryo quality metrics are entirely determined by the fertility clinic the intended parents choose for embryo creation and transfer. San Diego County is home to several clinics that report outcome data to the CDC. Patients should review the most current cycle-level data published by the CDC's ART Surveillance program and the SART Clinic Summary Report.
Patient Experience
The Liberty Station campus — a mixed-use development on a former Naval Training Center site — provides a professional and accessible setting. San Diego's moderate climate, well-regarded medical infrastructure, and large network of fertility specialists and reproductive lawyers creates a strong support ecosystem for surrogacy arrangements. Intended parents working with San Diego-based agencies benefit from California's established legal procedures, including the ability to obtain pre-birth orders in San Diego County family courts. Gestational carriers in the San Diego area often have access to major hospital systems for obstetric care. The agency's boutique structure typically allows for more individualized attention than larger national agencies.
Considering At-Home Insemination?
Not every fertility journey begins in a clinic. For individuals and couples exploring their options before committing to a full IVF cycle or surrogacy arrangement, at-home insemination can be a meaningful first step. MakeAMom offers at-home insemination kits — including the BabyMaker kit for those with sensitivities, the CryoBaby kit designed for use with frozen or low-volume sperm, and the Impregnator kit for low-motility sperm — shipped discreetly to your door. With a reported 67% success rate among users, these kits provide an accessible, lower-cost entry point for those beginning their path to parenthood. MakeAMom's reusable kits are cost-effective compared to single-use alternatives and come with detailed instructions. That said, surrogacy and third-party reproduction involve complex medical, legal, and emotional considerations that go well beyond what at-home insemination can address. If you are pursuing gestational surrogacy, working with a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist is the right next step.
Insurance and Financing
Surrogacy in California involves substantial costs, typically totaling between $100,000 and $180,000 or more depending on carrier compensation, agency fees, legal expenses, insurance premiums, and medical out-of-pocket costs. California does not require health insurance plans to cover surrogacy expenses for intended parents, though individual employer-sponsored plans may offer family-building benefits. Gestational carriers must carry qualifying health insurance that covers the pregnancy; where a carrier's existing plan is insufficient, agencies often assist in identifying appropriate supplemental or surrogacy-specific policies. Intended parents may also explore specialty surrogacy financing, home equity products, or nonprofit family-building grants to manage costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a surrogacy agency and a fertility clinic in this context? A surrogacy agency like Family Tree Surrogacy Center handles the human and logistical side of surrogacy — finding and screening carriers, managing the relationship, and coordinating with legal and medical professionals. A fertility clinic performs the actual medical procedures, including IVF and embryo transfer. The two work together but are separate entities, and intended parents typically work with both simultaneously.
Does California require a surrogacy contract? California law strongly recommends — and courts expect — a written gestational carrier agreement drafted and reviewed by independent legal counsel for both the intended parents and the carrier before any medical procedures begin. This contract governs compensation, medical decision-making, and parental rights.
What does a pre-birth order accomplish? A pre-birth order is a family court judgment, typically obtained in the second trimester, that names the intended parents as the legal parents on the birth certificate. It eliminates the need for post-birth adoption and is recognized across most U.S. states and many foreign countries.
How are gestational carriers compensated in California? Carrier compensation in California varies widely depending on experience, location, and the specific arrangement. Base compensation commonly ranges from $30,000 to $60,000, with additional allowances for expenses, maternity clothing, lost wages, and other costs. All compensation terms are negotiated and memorialized in the legal contract.