Foster Care Adoption in Utah
There are 2,100 to 2,600 children in Utah foster care. While most of those children will be able to reunite with biological family members, 13 to 18 percent will not be able to do so and will likely become eligible for adoption from foster care.
American Adoptions specializes in the adoption of newborns and is unable to provide Utah foster care adoption services. Hover, adopting a child from foster care is a wonderful way to grow your family. The following guide can provide you with more information about foster care adoption in Utah and can help you decide if it’s the right family-building method for you.
How to Get Involved in Utah Foster Care
You can get involved with foster care in Utah in three ways. You can:
Become a Foster Parent
When you become a licensed foster parent, you can provide children with a temporary home until they’re placed into a permanent situation, either with their biological family or with an adoptive family.
Foster to Adopt in Utah
If you’re a foster parent and the child that you’ve been fostering becomes legally eligible for adoption, you may be able to adopt him/her. This is known as foster to adopt in Utah. Although only 13 to 18 percent of children in UT foster care will become eligible for adoption, the foster parents who have been caring for them can be considered as a permanent option in the event that a foster care adoption becomes the child’s new goal.
Adopting from Foster Care in Utah
Becoming a foster parent isn’t a necessary step if you already know you want to adopt from foster care in Utah. You can instead be matched with children who are eligible for adoption and are already waiting for adoptive parents via a Utah foster care adoption.
Utah Foster Care Subsidies
If you foster to adopt a child or adopt through foster care in Utah, you may be eligible for Utah adoption assistance funded by a state adoption subsidy. Depending on state regulations and the needs of the child(ren) you foster or adopt through foster care in Utah, the amount of any subsidy you may receive will vary.
Who Can Foster to Adopt or Adopt through Foster Care in Utah?
Prospective foster parents must be at least 21 years old in order to adopt a child from foster care in Utah. You’ll also need to attain clearance through a home study first. Individual foster care agencies may also have additional requirements for adoptive parents that you would need to meet. These requirements can vary, so contact your agency to learn more.
Who Can Be Adopted from Foster Care in Utah?
The biological parents of a child must first terminate their legal parental rights before a child can become eligible for adoption from foster care in Utah. Parents can do this voluntarily, but in many foster care situations, the termination of parental rights occurs involuntarily when the court determines that the parents didn’t take the required measures to regain custody.
When children turn 18, they “age out” of Utah foster care, but they can still be adopted by their former foster parents in order to become a legal and permanent part of a family through adult adoption.
Resources and Utah Foster Care Adoption Agencies
To begin the process of foster care and adoption in Utah, the following foster care adoption agencies and Utah adoption photolisting sites can give you the information you need:
Contact your agency to learn more about foster care adoption in Utah.
Disclaimer
Information available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. American Adoptions provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.