Two of Worldwide Surrogacy's team members, Jennifer and Erin, will be traveling to Europe to attend two surrogacy conferences hosted by Families Through Surrogacy (FTS). FTS is a non-profit organization that aims to provide valuable information pertaining to family building and surrogacy. It does this through various networking strategies directed at prospective intended parents, families, and surrogate mothers. The conferences are open to all those interested in learning about the surrogacy process, and provide a way to meet with other intended parents, as well as those who have had children through surrogacy. 

The first conference that WSS will be attending is on March 5, 2016 and will be held at 155 Bishopsgate, which is located in the heart of the city of London. The London Conference offers an expanded full-day format of educational opportunities to provide information from leading experts in the field. It also provides access to a wide range of relevant service providers, including clinics and surrogate agencies. Discussion topics will include some of the following: How Are Governments Responding To The Demand For Surrogacy, The Psychology of Surrogacy, Surrogacy in the U.S., Parental Orders in Domestic and International Surrogacy, and Embryo Transfer Decisions. In addition, former intended parents and surrogates will share their stories and experiences including the hurdles, the important decisions, financial matters, motivations behind wanting to become a surrogate, and how to cope throughout the process.

On Sunday, March 6, 2016, the WSS dynamic duo will then travel to Dublin to attend the Dublin Surrogacy Conference, which will take place at the Royal Marine Hotel. This half-day conference will be similar in format to the London Conference and cover comparable topics. However, in terms of parentage laws and procedures, it will be tailored more specifically to Ireland, and will address such areas as how intended parents return to Ireland with their baby born via surrogacy and the processes involved in obtaining parentage (i.e. documents required). Irish parents will also discuss their experiences with surrogacy and how they made important decisions, such as choosing an agency, in addition to how they navigated the legal and logistical aspects of their journeys.

The London and Dublin Conferences are great opportunities to gain a wealth of information regarding the medical, legal, psychological and technological issues that contribute to the multifaceted nature of surrogacy. Both Jen and Erin are very excited to travel to London and Dublin, not only to attend the conferences, but to hopefully visit and connect with some of WSS' current and former intended parents while they are abroad.