Criminal Records

By nature, no human being is perfect; we are all sinners. Yet, most humans also share a certain innate moral code, according to which anything that has to do with babies and the business of making them is pretty darn sacred.  Yes, business. Thanks to the advances in medical technology, childless couples who never dreamed of an opportunity to produce their own offspring can do so now; but it takes money, and lots of it. They need a trustworthy agency to handle their money while they are in a fragile emotional state. That’s where the “sacred” part comes in: most people naturally share this moral code and compassionately serve reproductively challenged couples; but there are still those ruled by greed.

As most of us know, there are several alternative ways of making a baby, most of which rely on some type of donor or surrogate assistance. A third person, a paid stranger, must become an integral part of your family’s happiness; your future child’s very life, as well as health and safety depends on someone you never heard of until now. It is up to your agent to administer the whole process – from finding the right surrogate to making sure she keeps doctors’ appointments, to making all related payments. You must be especially careful if you live in Kansas or any other place that has no laws that regulate surrogate agencies. There, the burden of self-protection is on the prospective parents.

The reason I’ve been on my soap box about human morals is because of an article I just read about a surrogate agent in Kansas who defrauded numerous clients under the guise of many names and several different surrogate agencies. To each couple, Michelle Faulkenberry appeared to have a legitimate operation. She efficiently started clients on their journey by matching them with surrogates and going through all the required motions. However, soon afterwards she would typically disappear with all the unused money, while the agency itself ceased to exist.  The saddest part? This woman had been caught and convicted for her crimes, and a quick, simple online background check was all the precaution the defrauded couples needed to take to prevent the disasters; because she already had a long criminal record that would have come up if they checked.

So, how does one learn to trust a stranger overnight? By making sure it is a trustworthy stranger. And there is no other way of doing that but carefully screening the candidates. A background check, specifically a presence of criminal records, or even civil judgments, can reveal certain details about a person’s identity that may raise red flags. You must not trust just anyone, especially if you are feeling pangs of doubt. Listen to your intuition and check if this person has criminal records and a history of preying on the vulnerable. Only then will all the checks and balances be in place, so you can make an informed decision. Good luck, and send baby pictures.