Adoption Agencies in Utah

If you are a pregnant woman or birth mother please click here to see information that is geared to your needs. 

If you are an adopting family we believe you will find the information below helpful. We begin by giving you information regarding child adoption law in Utah (some of what you can and can't do) and then provide you with information on children available for adoption in Utah.  We then relate how we can assist you during the adoption process, and finally we provide a list of licensed Utah adoption agencies through which you can browse for additional information.

Before starting to search for a child to adopt or an agency to assist you, it is important that you understand how the adoption laws in Utah may affect your decisions. Making informed decisions is the best way of increasing your chances of adopting a child.  By way of example, we have listed below a few of the important parts of Utah child adoption law including such topics as advertising, adoption facilitators, adoption expenses, and the critical issue of ending the biological parental rights (called a Consent, Relinquishment or Surrender).

Use of Advertising and Facilitators in Adoptive Placements
Use of Advertisement
Citation: Ann. Code § 62A-4a-602(2)(b)

An attorney, physician, or other person may not:
Issue or cause to be issued to any person a card, sign, or device indicating that he is available to provide child-placing assistance
Cause, permit, or allow any sign or marking indicating that he is available to provide child-placing assistance, on or in any building or structure
Announce or cause, permit, or allow an announcement indicating that he is available to provide child-placing assistance to appear in any newspaper, magazine, directory, or on radio or television
Advertise by any other means that he is available to provide child-placing assistance

Use of Intermediaries/Facilitators
Citation: Ann. code § 62A-4a-602(1), (2)(a), (3)

No person, agency, corporation, association, or group children's home may engage in child placing, or solicit money or other assistance for child placing, without a valid license. When a child-placing agency's license is suspended or revoked, the care, control, or custody of any child who has been in the care, control, or custody of that agency shall be transferred to the division.

An attorney, physician, or other person may assist a parent in identifying or locating a person interested in adopting the parent's child, or in identifying or locating a child to be adopted. However, no payment, charge, fee, reimbursement of expense, or exchange of value of any kind may be made for that assistance.

Nothing in this part precludes payment of fees for medical, legal, or other lawful services rendered in connection with the care of a mother, delivery and care of a child, or lawful adoption proceedings; and no provision of this part abrogates the right of procedures for independent adoption as provided by law.

State Regulation of Adoption Expenses
Birth Parent Expenses Allowed
Citation: § 76-7-203

Actual and reasonable legal expenses
Maternity expenses
Related medical and hospital costs
Necessary living expenses

Birth Parent Expenses Not Allowed
Citation: § 78-30-14.5

Payments for adoption-related expenses may only be made in accordance with § 76-7-203.

Allowable Payments for Relinquishing Child
Citation: § 76-7-203

It is unlawful to sell a child or to make payment to induce a mother to place a child or to consent to the adoption of her child.

Consent to Adoption
Who Must Consent to an Adoption
Citation: Ann. Code §§ 78-30-4.14; 78-30-4.21

Consent to adoption of a child, or relinquishment of a child for adoption, is required from:
Both parents or the surviving parent of a child who was conceived or born within a marriage
The mother of a child born outside of marriage
Any biological parent who has been adjudicated to be the child's biological father by a court of competent jurisdiction prior to the mother's execution of consent to adoption or her relinquishment of the child for adoption
Any biological parent who has executed and filed a voluntary declaration of paternity with the State registrar of vital statistics within the Department of Health, prior to the mother's execution of consent to adoption or her relinquishment of the child for adoption
An unmarried biological father of a child, only if he strictly complies with requirements to develop a substantial relationship with child, openly acknowledge himself to be the father, initiate paternity proceedings, and agrees to support the child
The person or agency to whom the child has been relinquished and that is placing the child for adoption
A minor parent has the power to consent to the adoption of his or her child and relinquish his or her control or custody of the child for adoption. The consent or relinquishment is valid and has the same force and effect as a consent or relinquishment executed by an adult parent.

A minor parent, having executed a consent or relinquishment, cannot revoke that consent upon reaching the age of majority or otherwise becoming emancipated.

Age When Consent of Adoptee is Considered or Required
Citation: Ann. Code §§ 78-30-4.14; 78-30-6

A child who is age 12 or older must consent to the adoption, unless he or she does not have the capacity to consent.

When Parental Consent is not Needed
Citation: Ann. Code §§ 78-30-4.14; 78-30-4.17; 78-30-4.23

The consent of a parent is not required if the adopted person is age 18 or older. The consent of a parent is not required if the person's parental rights relating to the adopted person have been terminated.

The consent of an unmarried biological father is not required if:

The court determines that the unmarried biological father's rights should be terminated, based on the petition of any interested party.
A declaration of paternity declaring the unmarried biological father to be the father of the child is rescinded.
The unmarried biological father fails to comply to requirements to initiate proceedings to establish his paternity of the child.
A biological father is not entitled to notice of an adoption proceeding, nor is the consent of a biological father required in connection with an adoption proceeding, in cases where it is shown that the child who is the subject of the proceeding was conceived as a result of conduct which would constitute any sexual offense, regardless of whether the biological father is formally charged with or convicted of a criminal offense.

When Consent Can Be Executed
Citation: Ann. Code § 78-30-4.19

A birth mother may not consent to the adoption of her child or relinquish control or custody of her child until at least 24 hours after the birth of her child.

The consent or relinquishment of any other person as required by § 78-30-4.14 may be executed at any time, including prior to the birth of the child.

Rights of Presumed (Putative) Fathers
Registry/Paternity Requirements to Receive Notice
Citation: § 78-30-4.13(3)(a); (5)

The putative father is entitled to actual notice of a birth or adoption proceeding.
The putative father may initiate proceedings to establish paternity prior to the child's birth, the mother's execution of consent, or her relinquishment of the child to an agency.
The putative father may file notice that he has initiated paternity proceedings with the State Registrar of Vital Statistics, Department of Health.
The putative father must respond to notice of an adoption petition within 30 days, or waive any future right of notice.

Please visit adoption law in Utah for more details

Yes, through both public and private adoption agencies.  For example, in 2004, Utah had 440 children in the welfare system waiting to be adopted of whom 32 were under the age of 1 year, and 128 were between ages 1-5 years old. The actual number of children adopted through Utah public child welfare agencies was only 298, which represents only a small portion of the total number of all Utah adoptions (exact numbers are not available at this time). 

Remember that while you may be a resident of Utah, you are not limited to adopting a child from Utah.  You can adopt a child born in Utah, a child born in any other U.S. state, or even a foreign born child.  What is important for you to understand is that infants and children are available for adoption in Utah, in each of the other the 49 states, and in many foreign countries. 

Yes, we can help you and so can any licensed child adoption agency (we have listed several below).  By way of introduction to Adoption Services, Inc, I will relate to you a little about myself and our child adoption agency.

Almost 40 years ago I (Dr. Vince Berger) began working as a psychologist with pregnant teens in the Pittsburgh city school system. It was very challenging because in those days there were very few services for these young women, society was not yet accepting of unmarried and/or pregnant teens, and the word "adoption" was hardly ever used.

I loved the work I was doing and knowing that I was personally able to help so many of the pregnant women I was working with. But something was missing - I did not feel I was helping people enough. So, I set out to provide the personal and professional care that a birth mother and adopting family need and deserve in the adoption process.

I started a full service, non-profit adoption agency. Not just any agency, but one that was, and still is, dedicated to helping birth parents and adopting families receive the best and most comprehensive of adoption related services. Over the past 20 years, my staff and I have helped over 9,000 adopting families, birth parents, their babies and children.

I love helping people. I work 6 days a week and answer calls at all hours. The hours I put in are long but never hard, since I find so much joy and strength in helping others.

My goal continues to be to help you. Accordingly, in addition to the website you are on now and the Adoption Services website, we created Adopting Family Resources and International Adoption Help as well as Child Adoption Laws and Child Adoption Resources and Pregnancy And Children to give you a information and help.

I hope that you will call me or my staff so we can help you in the adoption process. However, if you don't want to call us, then please review the agencies listed here and give one of them a call. Do not give up until you get the help and attention you need and deserve.

Thank you for letting us help, and good luck.

Dr. Berger
and the staff of Adoption Services

A Act of Love/Alternative Options and Services for Children
9561 South 700 East
Suite 101
Sandy, UT 84070
Phone: (801) 572-1696
Fax: (801) 572-9303
Toll-Free: (888) 767-7740

All for Love Adoptions, Inc.
2916 South 2000 West
Syracuse, Utah 84075
801-525-2099
877-525-2099

A Nurture Adopt Adoption Agency
4309 West Oak Road North
Cedar Hills, UT 84062
Phone: (801) 772-0409
Toll-Free: (888) 334-0062

Catholic Community Services of Utah
2570 West 1700 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Phone: (801) 977-9119
Fax: (801) 977-8227

Children's Aid Society of Utah
652 26th Street
Ogden, UT 84401
Phone: (801) 393-8671
Fax: (801) 394-3324

Children's Service Society of Utah
124 South 400 East
Suite 400
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Phone: (801) 355-7444
Fax: (801) 355-7453
Toll-Free: (800) 839-7444

Heart to Heart Adoptions, Inc.
9669 South 700 East
Sandy, UT 84070
Phone: (801) 563-1000
Fax: (801) 563-9899
Toll-Free: (877) 62H-EART

LDS Family Services
95 West 100 South
Suite 340
Logan, UT 84321
Phone: (435) 752-5302

LDS Family Services
625 East
8400 South
Sandy, UT 84070
Phone: (801) 566-2556
Fax: (801) 566-2639

LDS Family Services
55 West 100 North
PO Box 817
Richfield, UT 84701
Phone: (435) 896-6446
Fax: (435) 896-8769
Toll-Free: (800) 994-8992

LDS Family Services
1525 Lincoln Avenue
Ogden, UT 84404
Phone: (801) 621-6510

LDS Family Services
294 East 100 South
Price, UT 84501
Phone: (435) 637-2991

LDS Family Services
4250 West 5415 South
Second Floor
Kearns, UT 84118
Phone: (801) 969-4181
Fax: (801) 969-1291
Toll-Free: (800) 537-2229

LDS Family Services
433 South 500 East
American Fork, UT 84003
Phone: (801) 216-8000
Fax: (801) 216-8001