Building Families, Inc.

What Building Families, Inc. does

Building Families, Inc. was a private, founder-owned gestational surrogacy agency incorporated in California and headquartered in Lake Forest (PO Box 1138). Founded in 1991 by Carol Weathers, the firm coordinated end-to-end surrogacy journeys for intended parents — including couples, single parents, and same-sex couples across the United States and internationally (with documented service to clients in the UK and Spain) — by recruiting, screening, and matching gestational carriers and then managing the medical, psychological, legal, and financial workflows with a network of professional associates.

Its core offering was a single integrated Gestational Surrogacy Program delivered through a structured multi-step journey: online inquiry, surrogate application and home interview, psychological and criminal screening, profile-based matching, medical clearance with reproductive endocrinologists, legal contracts and parentage orders, IVF coordination, pregnancy case management, and post-delivery support. The firm described a highly selective screening process (approximately 50% of surrogate applicants cleared into the program). Supporting modules included an IVF/FET Due Date Calculator, structured 10-step journey management pages, and curated directories of reproductive endocrinologists (Dr. Jane L. Frederick, Dr. Ilene Hatch, Dr. Kristi Maas, Dr. Brooke Friedman), psychologists (Dr. Vesna Radojevic, Natasha Radojevic, PsyD), and fertility attorneys (International Fertility Law Group, Mahan & Mahan, plus named individual attorneys), with SeedTrust handling escrow. The agency was a member of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association and BBB-accredited.

The business model was a professional-services agency model — intended parents paid agency fees for matching and case management, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market was relationship-led: content marketing through the company blog and surrogate success stories, Instagram and Facebook presence, virtual surrogate group meetings, and organic/SEO-led inbound. The firm was bootstrapped with personal seed capital from the founder's father and operated without institutional investment. In June 2026, Carol Weathers announced the wind-down of Building Families, Inc. and her transition to an independent consulting and coaching practice via cwconsultants.us, marking the end of the firm's 35-year operating history.

Name

Building Families, Inc.

Legal name

Building Families, Inc.

Website

https://buildingfamiliesinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Closed

Short description

Building Families, Inc. was a California-based gestational surrogacy agency that recruited, screened, and matched surrogate carriers with intended parents, managing the full medical, psychological, legal, and case-management workflow for domestic and international clients over 35 years before closing in 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Surrogacy Agency Services

NAICS

Family Planning Centers (621410)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

Keywords

• Surrogacy agency services
• Gestational carrier matching
• Fertility case management
• Intended parent services
• Surrogate coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Forest

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Surrogacy Agency Services: The agency charges intended parents for matching with gestational carriers and providing comprehensive case management through the surrogacy journey, including coordination with reproductive endocrinologists, psychologists, attorneys, and support services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Building Families, Inc. operates as a gestational surrogacy agency that matches intended parents with gestational carriers and provides end-to-end case management across the full surrogacy journey. The agency coordinates surrogate recruitment, screening, matching, medical procedures with reproductive endocrinologists, psychological screening, legal contracts, escrow/trust administration, and pregnancy support for both domestic U.S. and international clients.

Product overview

Building Families, Inc. operates as a gestational surrogacy agency offering a single integrated service program that coordinates the complete surrogacy journey for both intended parents and surrogates. The core Gestational Surrogacy Program encompasses surrogate screening, matching services, medical coordination with reproductive endocrinologists, psychological support, legal assistance, and ongoing case management. Supporting modules include an IVF and FET Due Date Calculator for intended parents, structured journey management following a 10-step process, and comprehensive psychological and legal support services throughout the pregnancy and delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gestational Surrogacy Program A full-service gestational surrogacy agency program that matches intended parents with screened gestational surrogates and coordinates the complete surrogacy journey, including surrogate screening, profile-based matching, reproductive endocrinology coordination, IVF procedure support, psychological screening, legal contract preparation, escrow/trust management, and case management through pregnancy and delivery. Intended parents (domestic U.S. and international) and surrogate candidates initiate the process through the agency's website.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~50% of surrogate applicants are ultimately cleared into the program through the rigorous screening process.

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RESOLVE: The National Infertility AssociationcoreOthersBuilding Families, Inc. is a proud member of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, demonstrating commitment to the infertility community and adherence to ethical standards in family building.
• International Fertility Law GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides dedicated legal counsel for surrogacy arrangements, ensuring legally compliant contracts, parental rights documentation, and court orders for intended parents and surrogates. Multiple attorneys from the firm are listed as professional associates.
• Mahan & Mahan – Attorneys at LawcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides legal representation and counsel for surrogacy arrangements. Kevin Mahan was the first attorney the agency worked with in surrogacy, helping establish early ethical standards.
• Kim Surratt (Attorney)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed as a professional associate attorney providing legal services for surrogacy arrangements.
• Rose Pondel, Esq. (Attorney)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed as a professional associate attorney providing legal services for surrogacy arrangements.
• Milena O'Hara (Attorney)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed as a professional associate attorney providing legal services for surrogacy arrangements.
• Dr. Vesna Radojevic (Psychologist)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides psychological screening for surrogates and intended parents, mental health guidance, and COVID-19 support resources. Co-authored mental health guidance for surrogates during the pandemic. Creator of guided relaxation audio for surrogacy journeys.
• Natasha Radojevic, PsyD (Psychologist)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides psychological screening for surrogates and intended parents. Co-authors mental health content for surrogates including COVID-19 behavioral guidance.
• Dr. Jane L. Frederick (Reproductive Endocrinologist)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a professional associate and reproductive endocrinologist partner. Featured in surrogacy success stories as the treating physician for IVF and pregnancy monitoring.
• Dr. Ilene Hatch (Reproductive Endocrinologist)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a professional associate reproductive endocrinologist providing IVF and fertility treatments for surrogacy journeys.
• Dr. Kristi Maas (Reproductive Endocrinologist)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a professional associate reproductive endocrinologist providing IVF and fertility treatments for surrogacy journeys.
• Dr. Brooke Friedman (Reproductive Endocrinologist)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a professional associate reproductive endocrinologist providing IVF and fertility treatments for surrogacy journeys.
• Peas In A PodminorOthersListed as a trusted partner in the surrogacy ecosystem.
• Creative Conception, Inc.minorOthersListed as a trusted partner in the surrogacy ecosystem.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association: Industry association of which Building Families is a member; not a competitor but provides the ethical framework, advocacy, and referral ecosystem that defines the surrogacy agency category.

Direct peers

• Circle Surrogacy: One of the largest full-service gestational surrogacy agencies in the U.S., matching intended parents with surrogates and providing end-to-end case management similar to Building Families' core service.
• Family Source Consultants: Gestational surrogacy and egg donation agency providing matching, screening, and journey management for intended parents — comparable in service model and customer base.
• Golden Surrogacy: U.S. surrogacy agency offering surrogate matching, screening, and case management for intended parents across domestic and international markets.
• Conceptual Options: Surrogacy and egg donation agency serving intended parents across the U.S. and internationally, with a case-management-driven service model directly parallel to Building Families.
• American Surrogacy: Full-service U.S. surrogacy agency offering surrogate matching, screening, and case management for intended parents, operating in the same product category as Building Families.
• Extraordinary Conceptions: Full-service surrogacy and egg donation agency with domestic and international intended parent services, directly comparable to Building Families in offering breadth.
• Surrogate Solutions: Surrogacy agency focused on matching intended parents with gestational carriers and providing journey coordination and case management services.
• Growing Generations: Long-established full-service surrogacy and egg donation agency with domestic and international intended parent programs, directly comparable to Building Families in service scope and target market.

Broad incumbents

• Hatch Fertility: Broader fertility and family-building services platform that includes surrogacy coordination, egg donation, and fertility financing — overlapping with Building Families' category but operating at a wider portfolio scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BuildingFamiliesInc
• Instagraminstagram.com/buildingfamiliesinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Building Families, Inc.