Guest Blogger: Brownstone Surrogacy
Brownstone Surrogacy is a boutique agency dedicated to honoring the unique aspects of every surrogacy journey—inspired by our co-directors’ own experiences, Brownstone is committed to ethical practices and personalized support for surrogates and parents alike. Brownstone is led by Jarret Zafran, a gay father through surrogacy and egg donation and a Harvard-educated attorney, and Yesenia Lemus, an experienced surrogate and passionate advocate for women, and offers a different model: personal and professional. A true “mom and pop” agency, Brownstone is also among the few agencies nationwide that is licensed by the government (New York State Department of Health).
For many, the word “surrogacy” brings to mind when Intended Parents are trying to match with a Surrogate. While this is a thrilling milestone, the truth is that the journey doesn’t stop there. In fact, the most meaningful support begins after the match is made. That’s why SeedTrust partners with trusted surrogacy agencies like Brownstone Surrogacy, who provide emotional, educational, logistical, and financial care to your entire surrogacy experience.
What Is the Role of a Good Surrogacy Agency?
When people imagine a surrogacy journey, they often picture the big, beautiful moments: the positive pregnancy test, the first ultrasound, the moment of birth. What’s less visible is the structure, coordination, and emotional care that make those moments possible. That’s where a good surrogacy agency comes in.
We see our role as the connective tissue that holds the entire surrogacy experience together. Our purpose is to ensure that everyone—intended parents, surrogates, and professionals—feels supported, informed, and protected from start to finish. There is already so much out of anyone’s control, that making sure everything else is airtight is paramount.
In other words: We handle the “unsexy” parts, so you can focus on what matters. With all respect to our partners at SeedTrust, escrow is one of those “unsexy” but absolutely critical parts of any successful surrogacy journey.
The Matchmakers (of a Very Special Kind)
Matching isn’t just about checking boxes. It’s about chemistry.
A good surrogacy agency doesn’t simply pair an intended parent with a surrogate based on logistics or availability; it’s about finding a true fit. We look for alignment in values, communication styles, expectations, and even senses of humor. Surrogacy is an intimate partnership for more than a year (and sometimes, a lifelong friendship) and the best matches are built on trust and mutual understanding. We listen deeply. And when we find that right combination, everything that follows becomes smoother and more joyful.
The Project Managers for Your Biggest Group Project
Surrogacy is one of the most meaningful journeys a person can take—and also one of the most complex. There are doctors, lawyers, insurance providers, mental health professionals, escrow managers, and two different families all working toward one shared goal.
Our job is to manage that complexity. Think of us as expert project managers for your biggest group project ever.
We coordinate timelines, make sure all necessary screenings and legal steps happen in the right order, and keep communication flowing between every stakeholder. We anticipate what’s next so you don’t have to.
When you have a good agency in your corner, you’re never left wondering, “Wait, who handles that?” or “Was I supposed to know they needed that form?” You’re not left to figure this all out via Google or ChatGPT.
Why Structure Creates Freedom
The truth is that surrogacy in the U.S. exists in a patchwork system. There’s no universal rulebook or federal oversight: every state has its own laws, and many details are left to the professionals involved.
That’s why a good agency doesn’t just follow the rules, it helps to create them.
We help establish “rules of the road” for each journey, such as:
- How much needs to go into escrow and when;
- Which state’s laws should be used for contracts and parentage orders;
- When life insurance and other protections should be put in place; and
- What financial and emotional safeguards are necessary to protect everyone.
These are the unglamorous details that form the backbone of a safe, ethical surrogacy experience. In a space with relatively little formal regulation, that structure is the safety net. We help set expectations early, offer clear communication, and make sure no one is ever left in the dark. And the result is that surrogates and intended parents are freed up to focus on connection. Everyone gets to fully experience the beauty of what’s unfolding.
The Warm Support System; With Serious Know-How
A good agency should feel like the best kind of girlfriend: the one who cheers you on, handles the logistics, and won’t let you walk into a situation that doesn’t serve you. It’s like if your bestie from college just also happened to know everything about fertility clinics and lawyers.
Surrogates and intended parents alike tell us they come to an agency because they want that warmth and advocacy. They want someone who will go to bat for them while also handling escrow, contracts, and communication with professionalism and care. In other words, true peace of mind.
A good agency is that protective layer between hope and heartache. We try to be the buffer that ensures both sides feel safe enough to open up, trust the process, and build a genuine bond.
The Brownstone Promise
At Brownstone Surrogacy, our mission is to make surrogacy feel as human, supported, and transparent as possible. We’re here to make the process easier, the relationships stronger, and the experience more joyful. We partner with trusted organizations like SeedTrust Escrow to handle finances transparently so that everyone can rest easy knowing their interests are protected.
The things that made you want to be a surrogate or parent probably weren’t escrow accounts and contract clauses. They were love, hope, and the dream of helping create a family or the dream of making one.
Learn more about Jarret and Brownstone Surrogacy at www.brownstonesurrogacy.com