About Us
The Surrogacy Center
The Surrogacy Center (TSC) was founded in 2002 in Madison, Wisconsin, and is currently owned by Clare Sorman and Julie Frieler. TSC is based in the Twin Cities area and works with clients from all over the midwest and beyond.
A place where individuals and couples can come and know they are in capable hands.
The Surrogacy Center’s clients are individuals and couples, gay and straight, who choose to come to the friendly Midwestern center where they know they will be thoughtfully matched and given personal attention by experienced and caring staff. Past clients have written many glowing reviews, based on the unique combination of professionalism and individual treatment that is offered. The many babies that have been born through the program have changed and will continue to change many lives, both now and for decades to come.
We are proud that our Agency is 100% woman-owned and staffed. Julie and Clare are committed to adhering to their principles of experience, kindness and efficiency when managing their business and working with their clients, and are passionate about helping build families and fostering life-long relationships.
Clare M. Sorman – Co-owner and Operations Director
Clare has almost 25 years of experience organizing and managing offices for corporate, political and nonprofit organizations. Her work as an Office Manager, Case Manager and Paralegal for local Minnesota businesses specializing in family therapy, family planning and family law has given her a wide berth of knowledge on how to manage complex situations where she is adept at fitting together a variety of moving parts, resulting in the highest standards of professional and organizational principles and positive outcomes for her clients. Her passion is helping to build healthy families and to assist them by providing resources toward living the best possible lives. Clare has lived in the Twin Cities area for 20+ years and is married to Dave, a local family building attorney. They have two boys who are the lights of their lives and remind them every day that children are a gift. Clare has two cats and enjoys gardening, cooking, antiquing, and adventuring with her family and friends.
Julie Frieler, RN – Co-owner and Client Services Director
Julie Frieler, RN, has been a Registered Nurse for over 15 years in a variety of clinical settings, with most of those years in women’s health, including fertility. Julie’s background in reproductive medicine and passion for connecting with people are what drove her to TSC as a Client Coordinator, then on to Case Management Director and eventually co-owner. She has helped those struggling with fertility build families and has seen and felt first-hand the intensities of this journey. Julie is honored to be a trusted partner with you along this journey to building your family. Julie has lived in the Twin Cities for most of her life. She and her husband have 3 beautiful, rambunctious little boys who keep them on their toes. Raising her family is her life-long dream, as she knows it is for many people.
Kim Jones, RN – Intake Care Coordinator
Kim’s role as the Intake Care Coordinator is to educate and guide prospective IPs and GCs through the application process with The Surrogacy Center. Kim comes to TSC as an RN with a background in women’s health, including triage nursing and care coordination in out-patient obstetrics, bedside labor and delivery and postpartum care, and fertility nurse care coordination. Kim is also well qualified to provide medical record review for our Gestational Carrier applicants. She loves how her role with TSC brings her nursing and care coordination experience to the world of surrogacy, and she hopes to provide peace of mind from the very beginning of the journey! Born and raised in the Twin Cities, Kim now lives with her husband, Kyle, two kids, and two golden doodles in New Brighton, Minnesota. After a rocky road to parenthood herself, Kim feels her personal history of infertility and multiple IVF attempts help her bring a unique perspective to her work with intended parents. In her free time, Kim enjoys spending long summer days at the cabin on the pontoon or kayak, always with a dog in tow, watching her kids pursue their interests, and dabbling in interior design.
ASRM Guidelines
Gestational carriers may be used when a true medical condition precludes the intended parent from carrying a pregnancy or would pose a significant risk to the woman or the fetus.
No owner, operator, laboratory director, or employee of the practice may serve as a gestational carrier or intended parent in that practice.
Psychosocial education and counseling by a qualified mental health professional is strongly recommended for both gestational carriers and intended parents.
Both intended parents and gestational carriers should have separate, ongoing legal representation by qualified legal practitioners who are licensed in the relevant state(s) and/or countries.
Issues related to screening and testing of the fetus during pregnancy should be discussed and documented. Plans for management of complications and/or multifetal gestations should be discussed and agreed upon.
The Surrogacy Center Ethics Policies
We take our responsibility to be good stewards of the surrogacy process very seriously. TSC works to uphold the highest ethical standards in every surrogacy journey that we facilitate. Our practices are grounded in integrity, transparency, and the health and well-being of all parties involved — intended parents, gestational carriers, and the children born through surrogacy.
Medical Indication Requirement
We believe that surrogacy should be pursued based on genuine medical necessity. Therefore, we require that all intended parents demonstrate a valid medical indication for use of a gestational carrier to work with our agency. This policy ensures that surrogacy is a compassionate and medically-supported family-building option.
Restriction on Concurrent Journeys
To ensure equitable practices, TSC does not support concurrent surrogacy journeys with multiple gestational carriers. We also do not support our intended parents working with multiple agencies simultaneously. Lastly, gestational carrier candidates applying with TSC must agree to work exclusively with our agency during their journey.
Evidence-based practice policy
The Surrogacy Center follows healthcare guidelines from recognized professional organizations (ACOG, ASRM, AMA). We will never provide advice not supported by licensed medical professionals or science, and it is our expectation that those who choose to work with our agency agree to follow evidence-based medical recommendations in regard to fertility, prenatal, and delivery care.
Single Embryo Transfer
The Surrogacy Center supports single embryo transfer only. This standard aligns with current best medical practices and prioritizes the health and safety of both the gestational carrier and the baby. We do not endorse or facilitate transferring multiple embryos simultaneously.
Client and Gestational Carrier Employment policy
Gestational carriers and intended parents who have worked with TSC are independent participants in the surrogacy process and will not be employed by our agency.