Surrogate Alternatives vs. Growing Generations: Choosing the Right Agency for Your Family
Surrogate Alternatives and Growing Generations, a Los Angeles-based surrogacy and egg donation agency, are both experienced agencies with independent third-party escrow and selective surrogate screening. Both support LGBTQ+ families, single intended parents and families from across the country.
The core difference is how each agency structures matching access and cost. Growing Generations offers four tiered programs where higher fees purchase faster matching and priority access. Surrogate Alternatives gives every intended parent the same matching speed, the same process and the same access at a single fixed fee. This page lays out the differences so intended parents can decide which model fits their family.
Surrogate Alternatives
- Founder-led since 1998 by a former surrogate
- No paid or unpaid waiting lists
- Independent third-party escrow via SeedTrust
- Fixed agency fees with a line-item breakdown
Growing Generations
- Four-tier program from $212,000 to $515,000+
- Higher tiers purchase faster matching
- Independent, bonded escrow funded before transfer
- Founded 1996, led by President and Partner Erica Horton
(SeedTrust)
Surrogate
acceptance
Founder-led
SAI Has Completed More Journeys at a Lower Total Cost
Surrogate Alternatives has helped bring more than 4,000 babies into the world since 1998. Growing Generations has helped more than 2,400 since 1996. Both agencies have nearly three decades of continuous operation, but Surrogate Alternatives has completed significantly more journeys.
A typical surrogacy journey with Surrogate Alternatives costs $150,000 to $200,000. Growing Generations' four program tiers range from approximately $212,000 at Legacy to $515,000+ at Heritage+. Surrogate Alternatives' upper estimate falls below Growing Generations' entry-level program. Surrogate Alternatives operates on a fixed agency fee model with no surprise agency fees and a detailed cost breakdown before the journey begins.
Growing Generations Charges More for Faster Matching Access
Growing Generations' four program tiers explicitly tie higher fees to faster matching. Legacy+ offers "expedited surrogate matching time" compared to Legacy. Growing Generations markets Heritage+ as "the most accelerated timeline and fastest surrogate match." Intended parents who choose a lower-priced tier wait longer for a match than those who pay for Heritage or Heritage+.
Surrogate Alternatives does not tier its matching. Every intended parent begins reviewing curated surrogate profiles within days, based on compatibility rather than payment level. Only about 5% of surrogate applicants move forward after screening, allowing Surrogate Alternatives to prioritize quality, safety and compatibility in every match.
No one pays more to move up a queue because matching speed at Surrogate Alternatives is the standard experience for every family, not a premium feature.
SAI Was Built by a Founder Who Lived the Surrogacy Journey Herself
Surrogate Alternatives is family-owned and founder-led by Diana Olmeda, a two-time surrogate, five-time egg donor and author of The Surrogacy Blueprint. Diana's surrogacy and egg donation resulted in the birth of 10 children. Diana continues to lead Surrogate Alternatives today. Surrogate Alternatives was built by someone who has personally lived the surrogacy journey from multiple perspectives. Surrogate Alternatives' team includes current and former surrogates, so intended parents and surrogates work with people who have firsthand experience, not just administrators.
Growing Generations launched in 1996 to serve LGBTQ+ families at a time when many agencies refused them. President and Partner Erica Horton now leads Growing Generations after joining as an intern around 2003 and guiding the organization through its growth into a surrogacy and egg donation agency serving intended parents worldwide. Surrogate Alternatives' founder is still the person running Surrogate Alternatives day to day.
Both Agencies Use Independent Third-Party Escrow
Surrogate Alternatives requires all client funds to be held through SeedTrust, an independent third-party escrow provider. Surrogate Alternatives never holds or controls escrowed funds at any point. Growing Generations also uses independent, bonded third-party escrow and funds the account before embryo transfer. Both agencies follow this best practice.
Independent escrow matters because it separates client funds from agency operations. In 2024, a surrogacy escrow management company <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/19/us/houston-surrogacy-escrow-company-fraud-scheme-lawsuit" target="_blank">faced an FBI investigation after millions of dollars went missing</a>, leaving surrogates unpaid and intended parents in litigation. Both Surrogate Alternatives and Growing Generations protect families from this risk through independent escrow structures. Intended parents evaluating any surrogacy agency should ask how funds are held and whether the escrow provider operates independently.
Talk With Surrogate Alternatives About Your Journey
Intended parents who want a founder-led agency with no tiered pricing, no waitlists and independent third-party escrow can schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with Surrogate Alternatives. An agency director walks intended parents through the full surrogacy process and answers all questions about medical, legal and financial requirements before intended parents and surrogates sign any agreements.
Surrogate Alternatives has been building families since 1998. The right agency is the one whose process, values and cost structure match what matters most to your family.
Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with Surrogate Alternatives.
