Choosing the Best LGBTQ+ Family-Building Team for Your Journey

This article was originally published on LGBTQ Nation on November 13, 2026. Republished with permission.

Choosing a fertility clinic is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make on your path to parenthood. Of course, success rates, costs, and LGBTQ+ experience matter, but there’s another question worth asking: Who’s going to support you through everything that happens outside the exam room?

For LGBTQ+ intended parents, fertility treatment typically involves much more than medical procedures. There are egg or sperm donors, gestational carriers, attorneys, counselors, and financial decisions to navigate. The right clinic should help you manage that complexity, not leave you to figure it out alone.

To better understand what that support should look like, I spoke with Dr. Mark Leondires, reproductive endocrinologist and medical director of Illume Fertility. Mark is also a dad through egg donation and surrogacy and serves on GWK Academy’s board of directors.

His message is simple: You’re not just choosing a doctor. You’re choosing an entire team.

What are wraparound services, and why do they matter?

When Dr. Leondires opened his Connecticut fertility practice in 2002, patients were largely responsible for finding their own support outside the clinic. “Most of it was on you, and most of it often was self-pay,” he recalls. “And there wasn’t a lot of support for LGBTQ+ people.”

Today, more fertility clinics offer what’s known as wraparound services, the support that complements medical treatment. This can include mental health counseling, financial advocacy, legal referrals, medication assistance, nutrition, acupuncture, and patient care coordination.

“It’s stressful, it’s your hopes and dreams, and there’s a lot involved,” Dr. Leondires says. “And it’s expensive, and it’s complicated, and it sometimes involves medications and shots.”

For LGBTQ+ intended parents, who typically need to coordinate multiple professionals and third parties, these services can make an enormous difference.

At GWK Academy, I regularly speak with prospective parents who feel overwhelmed by the number of decisions and professionals involved in fertility treatment. Many are still figuring out which path is right for them, while others are trying to assemble a team of trusted professionals, from fertility clinics and egg donor agencies to surrogacy agencies and reproductive attorneys.

One thing I’ve learned is that no single professional or organization can provide everything you’ll need. Building the right team means understanding who does what, knowing where to turn for guidance, and finding people who understand your particular circumstances.

Your fertility clinic will be a critical part of that team. Here are five key areas of support to consider when choosing the right one.

1. Emotional & Psychological Support

One of the most valuable services a fertility clinic can provide is access to qualified mental health professionals who understand LGBTQ+ family building.

If you’re using donor eggs, sperm, or embryos, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommends meeting with a qualified mental health professional before treatment. This is commonly called a psychoeducational consultation.

Some intended parents worry they’re being evaluated on whether they’ll be good parents. That’s not the purpose.

The consultation is educational and helps you think through decisions and conversations that may affect your family for years to come.

For example, how will you choose your donor? How and when will you talk with your child about their origins? What information will you share with extended family and friends?

“We try to avoid the word secret, because secret implies something’s bad,” Dr. Leondires explains. “But there are things that are private to our families.”

For LGBTQ+ intended parents, these conversations may also cover family acceptance, homophobia, transphobia, and the experiences of gestational and non-gestational parents.

If you’re working with a known donor, such as a friend or family member, counseling becomes particularly important. Everyone should understand their roles, expectations, boundaries, and plans for future contact.

Dr. Leondires also encourages intended parents to consider donors who are open to being known to their children, whether through an existing relationship or future contact. He points to growing concerns about donor-conceived people discovering large numbers of genetic half-siblings, as well as the importance of understanding one’s genetic origins.

What should you look for?

Your clinic doesn’t necessarily need an in-house counselor. In fact, many work with outside mental health professionals.

What matters is that these professionals have experience with LGBTQ+ families and donor conception, and that the clinic maintains a close working relationship with them.

“It’s a trusted partner relationship, and they work hand in hand,” Dr. Leondires says.

Emotional support shouldn’t end after the consultation, either. Ask whether the clinic offers support groups for people undergoing fertility treatment, experiencing pregnancy loss, or navigating setbacks.

And ideally, some of those groups should specifically serve LGBTQ+ patients.

“Our challenges are different,” Dr. Leondires notes.

2. Legal Guidance & a Network of Trusted Professionals

Depending on your path, you may need an egg donor agency, sperm bank, gestational carrier matching agency, reproductive attorney, or several of these professionals working together.

An experienced fertility clinic should understand how these professionals fit into the process and have relationships with reputable providers, particularly reproductive attorneys and mental health professionals whose services are closely connected to treatment.

But don’t assume that your clinic’s preferred partners are your only options.

Independent family-building resources, including organizations like GWK Academy, can help you explore egg donor and surrogacy agencies, understand the differences between providers, and connect with professionals who may be a better fit for your needs, priorities, and budget.

The goal isn’t simply to assemble a team. It’s to assemble the right team for you.

Legal guidance is particularly important. “You need to make sure that you live in a state where, when this child is born, whether you’re single, whether you have a same-sex partner, that your parental rights are well defended,” Dr. Leondires says. “Marriage might not be enough.”

He recommends a belt-and-suspenders approach to protecting parental rights.

States like New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut have laws that make it easier for all parents to be on the birth certificate. But if you’re working with a gestational carrier, the laws where your baby is born may matter as much as the laws where you live. Parentage protections can also matter later, if you move or travel with your child.

That’s why your clinic should connect you with an experienced reproductive attorney before treatment begins.

Dr. Leondires also emphasizes that signing IVF consent forms doesn’t establish legal parentage. “When we do consent forms in the IVF clinic, those are not legal documents, and those don’t carry weight in the court.”

What should you look for?

A clinic that understands the legal complexities of LGBTQ+ family building, has strong relationships with experienced reproductive attorneys, and welcomes collaboration with other qualified professionals you choose to bring into your journey.

3. Financial Guidance & Transparency

For many LGBTQ+ people, cost is the single biggest barrier to building a family. While fertility treatment is expensive for everyone, LGBTQ+ intended parents have historically faced additional obstacles accessing insurance coverage.

In 2023, ASRM expanded its definition of infertility to recognize people who need medical intervention to build a family, including single people and LGBTQ+ people.

Previously, infertility was often defined around a heterosexual couple’s inability to conceive after a year of trying. That excluded many LGBTQ+ people from qualifying for coverage.

“[It used to be that if] you work next to this person, and they’re part of an opposite-sex couple, they had full access to an IVF cycle,” Dr. Leondires explains. “But if you just happened to have a same-sex partner, you were excluded, and that wasn’t fair.”

ASRM’s updated definition represents important progress, but it doesn’t automatically guarantee insurance coverage. State laws, employer plans, and individual insurance policies still determine what’s covered.

Some states, including New York, Connecticut, and Illinois, have fertility coverage mandates that provide protections for LGBTQ+ patients, although eligibility and covered services vary.

That’s why financial advocacy is such an important wraparound service.

A knowledgeable financial coordinator can help you understand your benefits, navigate insurance requirements, explore appeals, and anticipate expenses.

And if you’re paying out of pocket, transparent package pricing can help you avoid surprises.

Dr. Leondires gives the example of someone pursuing intrauterine insemination (IUI) with donor sperm. Ideally, the clinic should be able to explain the full expected cost rather than leaving patients to discover additional charges along the way.

Even financial paperwork can reveal whether a clinic understands LGBTQ+ families.

Forms “should not say male and female or husband and wife,” he says. “It should say patient and partner, or just patient.”

What should you look for?

A dedicated financial advocate, clear explanations of insurance coverage, transparent pricing, and inclusive paperwork.

If a clinic can’t explain what you’re likely to pay, what isn’t included, and what happens financially if treatment doesn’t work the first time, keep asking questions.

4. Inclusive, Coordinated Care

One of the clearest indicators of a genuinely LGBTQ+-affirming fertility clinic is how it treats everyone involved in building your family. That includes non-gestational parents.

At Dr. Leondires’ practice, both intended parents are named on consent forms and labels and invited to participate in appointments. “You may not be carrying the baby, but you should still be allowed in the room and able to participate,” he says.

Unfortunately, this isn’t universal. “As an LGBTQ+ parent-to-be, you’re regularly going to have to advocate to have your needs met,” he adds. And inclusion goes well beyond the doctor’s office.

You’ll learn a lot from your very first phone call.

“If they ask you ‘Who’s your partner?’ versus ‘Who’s your wife?’ you’re going to lean to the place that uses the right language, because words matter,” Dr. Leondires explains.

The same applies to assumptions about conception. Asking someone how long they’ve been trying to get pregnant may seem routine, but for many LGBTQ+ patients, it simply doesn’t apply.

From receptionists to nurses to financial coordinators, everyone should understand that families are built in different ways.

Another valuable resource is a patient navigator, sometimes called a care coordinator. This person helps you manage the many moving pieces of treatment, answers questions, coordinates services, and provides a consistent point of contact.

“A lot of our days in a fertility clinic are run, run, run,” Dr. Leondires says. A navigator is someone you can “unload your bucket of concerns to.”

What should you look for?

A clinic where LGBTQ+ inclusion is reflected in everyday practices, not simply mentioned on the website. Ask about staff training, how non-gestational parents are included, and whether someone will help coordinate your care.

Most importantly, pay attention to how the entire team treats you.

5. Wellness & Practical Assistance

Some wraparound services may seem less essential at first, but they can make fertility treatment considerably easier to manage.

Take medication support: IVF often involves multiple injectable medications, specific schedules, and detailed instructions. Whether the person taking those medications is you, your partner, an egg donor, or a gestational carrier, the process can feel intimidating.

A pharmacy partner experienced in fertility treatment can help explain medications, demonstrate injections, and ensure everything arrives when needed.

Some clinics also offer nutrition counseling and acupuncture. Acupuncture may help some patients manage stress or discomfort during treatment, although evidence that it improves IVF success rates remains mixed.

Nutrition professionals can provide guidance on overall health and preparation for pregnancy.

Even appointment scheduling matters. Early morning monitoring appointments, flexible hours, and accessible communication can make a demanding process more manageable.

What should you look for?

Ask which services are offered in-house, which are available through outside partners, and which carry additional fees.

Not every clinic needs to provide every service. What matters is whether the clinic understands your needs and can help you access appropriate support.

10 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Fertility Clinic

As you compare clinics, here are ten questions worth bringing to your consultations:

1. Mental health: Who do you recommend for psychoeducational counseling, and do they have experience with LGBTQ+ families and donor conception?
2. Legal support: Can you connect me with reproductive attorneys experienced in LGBTQ+ family building and parentage protections?
3. Trusted referrals: Which egg donor, sperm donor, and gestational carrier agencies do you work with, and are you comfortable collaborating with other qualified agencies I may choose?
4. Financial guidance: Do you have a financial advocate who can help with insurance, appeals, and understanding the full cost of treatment?
5. Transparent pricing: Do you offer package pricing, and what additional expenses should I anticipate?
6. Inclusive care: How do you ensure non-gestational parents are included in appointments, communications, and decisions?
7. Staff training: Does your entire team receive ongoing LGBTQ+ competency training?
8. Patient coordination: Will I have a patient navigator or dedicated care coordinator?
9. Emotional support: Do you offer support groups, including any specifically for LGBTQ+ patients?
10. Wellness services: What medication, nutrition, acupuncture, or other support services are available, and what do they cost?

You don’t need a perfect answer to every question. But the responses will tell you a great deal about how a clinic approaches patient care.

The Bottom Line

Building your family through fertility treatment can be exciting, overwhelming, expensive, and deeply personal, sometimes all at once.

And sometimes things don’t go according to plan.You may experience unsuccessful treatment cycles, unexpected delays, or pregnancy loss. Those moments can be especially difficult when you’ve already invested so much emotionally and financially in becoming a parent.

That’s when having the right people around you matters most.

Dr. Leondires has helped thousands of patients build their families, but he’s quick to emphasize that he doesn’t do it alone. “I am surrounded by a team of people that help us get through these processes,” he says.

So yes, compare success rates. Ask about costs. Make sure the clinic has experience working with LGBTQ+ families. But don’t stop there.

Ask who will answer your questions, help you navigate difficult decisions, connect you with trusted professionals, and support you when things don’t go according to plan.

Because ultimately, you’re not just choosing a fertility clinic. You’re choosing the people who will help you build your family.

Interested in learning more about donor conception? Dr. Mark Leondires is the author of Building Your Family: The Complete Guide to Donor Conception.

Still figuring out your path to parenthood or assembling your family-building team? GWK Academy helps LGBTQ+ prospective parents explore their options, make informed decisions, and connect with trusted fertility clinics, egg donor agencies, surrogacy agencies, and other family-building professionals. Our education, personalized coaching, and resources are designed to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.