Adoption in Utah
A woman facing an unplanned pregnancy who chooses to place a baby for adoption in Utah is a selfless act of love.
An unplanned or unwanted pregnancy can be an overwhelming feeling for women in Utah. Adoption Choices of Arizona has been working with women in similar circumstances in Arizona as well as across Utah.
Choosing adoption requires a process of five steps: making an adoption decision, creating an adoption plan, choosing an adoptive family, preparing for placement, and adjusting to life after adoption. With the right adoption professional, like Adoption Choices of Arizona, the adoption process can be smooth and efficient for an expectant mother. Placing a newborn baby for adoption in Utah is an option for any woman considering adoption.
How to Give Baby Up for Adoption in Utah
The steps of the adoption process are broken down below. Adoption Choices of Arizona will help a woman considering, “I want to give my baby up for adoption in Utah” by walking her through these five steps. If you are an expectant mother who doesn’t know what to expect in the adoption process, please contact us to have more specific questions answered.
Each adoption situation varies in circumstances and relationships and should be individually handled with care. Our adoption professionals will be there as a guide, support, and resource center throughout the adoption process.
- Make the adoption decision. Placing a baby for adoption in Utah is no simple decision to make. The considerations a woman should think about include all aspects of her personal situation and a realistic view of parenting in that situation. Some aspects to consider include your financial, emotional, mental, spiritual and physical health, and readiness.This may require a woman considering adoption to make a pros and cons list of choosing adoption versus keeping her baby. On this list, there should be a realistic view of what life would look like if she were to choose to parent, and what life after adoption could be like. It is completely up to the individual woman facing the unplanned pregnancy to make her own decision; however, it is recommended to seek expert advice. This could be in the form of a trusted friend or family member, an adoption agency like Adoption Choices of Arizona, or other support group. Once you’ve made the adoption decision, you can move on to the next steps for how to place a baby for adoption in Utah.
- Create an adoption plan. An adoption specialist will help a woman considering adoption create an adoption plan. An adoption plan outlines the desires that a prospective birth mother has for her child in terms of how she wants life to look like after adoption, what characteristics she wants in a prospective adoptive family, and hospital wishes if the baby has not been born yet. Giving up baby for adoption in Utah allows for the prospective birth mother to remain in control of the adoption process up until finalization and have her adoption plan followed. If a prospective birth mother does not feel that her adoption plan is being honored, or if she changes her mind, she can stop the adoption process or choose a different potential adoptive family up until placement.
- Choose an adoptive family. This step in the process of putting your baby for adoption in Utah can be very exciting and hopeful for a prospective birth mother. Based on her desires expressed in her adoption plan, her adoption specialist will provide her with adoptive family profiles to choose from for her baby. After choosing a prospective adoptive couple, a prospective birth mother will have the opportunity to get to know them and form a bond with them over the course of the pregnancy and/or adoption process.
- Prepare for placement. If the prospective birth mother is pregnant, then she will need to create a hospital plan in addition to her adoption plan, or in conjunction with it. The hospital plan will express the labor and delivery wishes of the prospective birth mother. These wishes will include who is allowed in the delivery room, what hospital or birthing unit she will deliver at, how she will get home from the hospital, etc. There are also legal requirements in Utah for adoption proceedings, which a prospective birth mother will be informed of by her adoption attorney – provided by Adoption Choices. There are documents that need to be signed, a birth father to consider, and perhaps other personal circumstances. This part of the process will handled by our professionals supporting the prospective birth mother.
- Adjust to life after adoption. Life after adoption can be anything a birth mother chooses to make it. She can choose to focus on her pain and grief, or work on moving forward with her life through spiritual healing. There are so many possibilities for a birth mother and her future, as she has been given a second chance at life. She can also choose to have a relationship with the child she placed for adoption through an open adoption. In an open adoption, a birth mother has a level of communication with the child she chooses adoption for, based on what was agreed upon with the chosen adoptive parents before finalization occurred.
Adoption can be an incredibly amazing experience if a prospective birth mother chooses to see the beauty and love involved in it. Please contact us if you are considering putting your baby up for adoption in Utah. Someone will reach out to you, discuss the steps of adoption with you and answer any questions you have. Be encouraged that life after adoption can be rich, beautiful, and full of healing and joy if you choose for it to be!
Utah Adoption Law
| Code Sections | Utah Code Title 78B, Chapter 6, Part 1: Utah Adoption Act |
| Who Can Be Adopted | Any child or adult can be adopted, if eligible and the Utah adoption laws are followed. If the adopting person is not at least 10 years older than the child, he or she can’t adopt. However, if a married couple is adopting only one of the spouses must be at least 10 years older than the adoptee. |
| Consent of Child | A child who’s at least 12 years old and any adults must consent to adoption, if they have the mental capacity to consent. |
| Who Can Adopt | Any adult can adopt, but must have the consent of his or her spouse if married. Also, a single person who is cohabitating and involved in a sexual relationship without being married may not adopt. This may have been developed to prevent same-sex couples from adopting (although it doesn’t necessarily prevent single gay or lesbian persons from adopting). However, now same-sex marriage is legal in Utah. This law is written to say the “most beneficial family structure” for children is one with one man and one woman who are married, but there are many reasons this may not be the case and the law is flexible enough to understand there aren’t always qualified couples available for all the children who’d like to be adopted. |
| Home Residency Required Prior to Finalization of Adoption | The home residency requirement or amount of time a child must live in the home before the adoption is finalized is usually 6 months. However, for stepparents adopting their spouse’s children, the child must live with the stepparent for at least one year. |
| State Agency | In Utah, the state agency that handles foster care and adoptions of children who can’t be returned to their families of origin is Child and Family Services. |
| State Court | The adoption petition can be filed in your local District Court or in the Juvenile Court for children who were abused or neglect or had the parental rights of the birth parent terminated in the juvenile court. |
| Statute of Limitations to Challenge | An adoption can’t be contested after entry of final adoption decree, even in the case of fraudulent misrepresentation connected to the adoption. However, a person can seek civil or criminal penalties for adoption fraud. |
We are here to help! Expectant Parent Call or Text 1-480-900-5520
If the Department of Child Protective Services is involved in your life, private adoption (where you choose the adoptive parents), is still an option for you. Do not hesitate to call. There is only a small window of time that you have to make an adoption plan and the baby can be released from the hospital directly to the adoptive family.
We will come to your hospital room or wherever you want to meet and walk you through the process of making a life long plan for your baby.
No one knew I was pregnant. My plan was to have the baby and use Safe Haven at the hospital. When the hospital social worker told me CPS was Safe Haven or I could pick my own family through an adoption agency – I did not want my baby in a foster home so I called Adoption Choices. They were in my room in less than an hour, helped me with the paperwork and my discharge. I did this in the best interest of my baby. Sometimes I’m sad… but I know my baby is happy and in a wonderful home.
– BIRTH MOTHER
Find a Forever Family for Your Baby
Call 602-396-5205 or Text 602-505-4190
Adoption Process
5 Steps For Birth Parents
Step 1 |
Call UsGive us a call, any time. We are here to answer your questions and to help you look at your options. Gaining understanding and knowledge will often ease your stress and fe |
Step 2 |
Meet With A CounselorOne of our professional, compassionate counselors will come to you providing you all the information, paperwork, answers, and guidance to start your adoption journey. |
Step 3 |
Select A FamilyYour counselor will bring you family profiles to choose from. Don’t feel you have the right family? We’ll get you more profiles! You get to choose your family and the level of openness you wish to have. |
Step 4 |
Place Baby with The FamilyWe will be with you and advocate for you at the hospital. The baby will leave with the adoptive family while we prepare consents. |
Step 5 |
Access Post Placement SupportWe will ensure you have a healthy recovery and a plan of action. Our counselors will remain available for you during this time. |