Utah Adoption Agency

How Can We Help?

At Heart to Heart Adoption Agency, our mission is deeply rooted in connecting birth families with the perfect adoptive family, fostering the creation of lifelong relationships. Unlike traditional views, we believe that adoption doesn’t sever ties but rather expands the family, creating a lasting bond between birth and adoptive families.

Utah Adoption Agency

How Can We Help?

We're Here to Empower Utah Birth Mothers

Utah adoption agencies lead the way in adoption, empowering birth mothers to play a key role in choosing the right family for their child.

Recently, Utah legislators passed SB154, a law that increases support for adoption by requiring transparency about the associated costs of adoption. Heart to Heart Adoptions, unlike many agencies, has always been transparent in providing families with the exact cost of adoption.

Another part of bill (SB154) enables birth mothers to have a say in placing their child with a family that aligns with their preferences. The legislation says Utah adoption agencies are allowed and encouraged to follow “the good faith wishes of the birth mother as to optimal placement.”

At Heart to Heart Adoptions, we support this legislation and have always tried to do all we can to respect and honor the birth mother’s wishes. This helps foster a sense of empowerment and control. At Heart to Heart Adoption Agency–

Adoptive families are chosen based on birth parents’ preferences and the child’s needs, ensuring a perfect match.
Adoptive families are carefully vetted and prepared to provide a loving home with support and stability.
Birth parents can choose the level of openness, from sharing updates through letters to maintaining ongoing relationships.

Feel comfortable in placing your child up for adoption with an agency that finds the best suitable adoptive parents.

Proximity and Availability: Utah's Supportive Environment

Adopting or placing your child for adoption in Utah provides an environment where case managers can be close and readily available, a crucial factor in offering timely and comprehensive support to birth mothers throughout the adoption journey. Whether it’s arranging housing, addressing legal concerns, or providing emotional support, the physical proximity of case managers ensures a seamless and supportive experience for birth mothers.

Comprehensive Support for Birth Mothers

For birth mothers, our team goes beyond emotional support. We address physical needs, facilitating housing with 24/7 access to dedicated case managers, covering living expenses, and ensuring excellent prenatal and birthing care. Legal concerns are addressed, offering birth mothers the crucial choice of selecting the adoptive family based on their preferences.

Adopting: Find the Right Fit for Your Family

Unique Situations

Cassie proudly wears a half-sun tattoo on the back of her hand. The mom who adopted Cassie’s baby has the other half of that bright, positive sun on her hand. This shared emblem signifies the deep and positive connection forged between these two women during the adoption process.

When Cassie discovered she was pregnant, her doctor suggested she contact Heart to Heart Adoptions, an agency he’d worked with many times. Both Cassie and the doctor knew she was not in a position to parent another child.

Following his advice, Cassie connected with Kathy and others at Heart to Heart Adoptions. “I felt so much better after meeting them,” the woman says now in retrospect. “They let me decide how to proceed. They let me decide on the birthing plan. And they let me, and the baby’s father, choose the adoptive family.”

This is a unique situation. But every situation is unique; and at Heart to Heart Adoptions, we try to accommodate the type of relationship you will want with one another—adoptive family and birth family.

This was the right fit for both of these families. We will try very hard to find the right fit for you.

As an adoptive family, you always have the choice to be presented to a birth mother or not. Your comfort and choices are important in finding the perfect match for your family.

Transparency for Adoptive Families

Not only is Heart to Heart Adoptions transparent about every situation, but we are also straightforward about the upfront cost of adoption, eliminating hidden fees. We balance providing comprehensive support for birth mothers while keeping adoption costs as low as possible.

Confidentiality and Compliance: Prioritizing Your Security

Confidentiality and privacy are essential to us. We have a full-time employee who makes sure we comply with adoption regulations regardless of what state a birth mother might come from. Full-time staff maintains up-to-date forms and adherence to Utah state regulations, prioritizing your security throughout the process.

Collaboration with Hearts Foundation: Supporting Families

United with the Hearts Foundation, a community inspired by the transformative power of adoption, we passionately work to ensure no deserving family is priced out of the adoption journey. Through heartfelt collaboration, we raise funds to provide subsidies, fostering the dreams of families seeking to embrace the gift of adoption. Your connection with Heart to Heart Adoption Agency transcends a mere transaction; it’s the heartfelt beginning of an enduring bond, a testament to our commitment to making adoption a cherished and accessible journey for every family in the heart of Utah.

What Birth Families Need to Know About Utah Adoptions

Can birth parents keep in contact with the child?

Yes, post-adoption contact agreements in Utah allow for ongoing communication between birth parents and the adoptive family, with details agreed upon before finalization. Women often ask what control they have when they “put my child up for adoption.” In a Utah adoption, you control what kind of open adoption you will have.

What kind of financial support can I receive if I plan to place my baby in Utah?

Is open adoption typical in Utah Adoptions? Is Utah an open adoption state?

Yes, Utah supports open adoption. Birth mothers have a significant role, and post-adoption contact agreements can be established, detailing visitation, supervision, and information sharing. “Placing my baby for adoption,” does not mean never having contact with your child.

Can I put my child up for adoption with Heart to Heart Adoptions in Utah?

Absolutely. We are here to talk with you about your options and for placing a child for adoption in Utah. Feel free to call and get more information.

How can I put my child up for adoption in Utah?

Birth parents can initiate the adoption process by contacting Heart to Heart Adoptions. Our team provides comprehensive support, addressing legal, emotional, and financial aspects.

These, however, are the basic steps to placing a child for adoption in Utah.

Step 1: Visit your doctor for confirmation of pregnancy and receive prenatal care.
Step 2: Connect with Heart to Heart Adoptions, where professionals answer questions, provide support, and guide through the process.
Step 3: Create an adoption plan, decide the level of openness, and choose the right adoptive family.
Step 4: Choose an adoptive family by reviewing profiles, having phone calls, or in-person meetings.
Step 5: Hospital plan and consent to adoption are worked on, allowing time for birth parents to say hello to the baby before signing consent papers.
Step 6: Post-placement support is provided, including counseling, support groups, and ongoing guidance.

What Adoptive Families Need to Know About Utah Adoptions

How much does it cost to adopt a child in Utah?

Adoption costs in Utah are similar to the national average, ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 and higher. Our adoption agency is committed to transparency, providing you with the exact cost of adoption. We do not have hidden fees. We will discuss the cost with you.

How do I adopt a baby in Utah?

Prospective adoptive parents often ask how to adopt a child in Utah. The first step is to undergo a home study. The home study for Utah adoptions includes:

Criminal background checks, FBI fingerprinting, and more.
Current health statements to ensure physical and mental fitness.
Provide current financial statements to demonstrate stability for the child’s basic needs.
Address various emotional aspects, including:
- Uniting with your spouse on adoption goals and expectations.
- Dealing with any lingering grief from infertility.
- Releasing expectations related to having a biological child.
- Learning about maintaining post-adoption relationships with the child’s birth family.
- Emotionally preparing for the Utah adoption process and raising adopted children.
- Maintaining a commitment to the adoption process despite potential challenges.
Prospective adoptive parents meeting Utah’s qualifications can contact Heart to Heart Adoptions at 801-563-1000 or request free adoption information online.

How long does it take to adopt a child in Utah?

The adoption timeline varies and is influenced by factors such as adoptive family openness and adoption opportunities. Finalization typically occurs about six months after placement.

To begin your adoption journey with Heart to Heart Adoptions, complete our application or call us directly. We offer 24/7 availability for birth mothers, ensuring continuous support.

Our Founding Story: Pioneering Adoption In Utah

Established nearly 30 years ago, our Utah adoption agency was founded by a visionary CEO inspired by the wonders of adoption within her family. Committed to teaching people how to adopt a child in Utah within a dignified and compassionate adoption process for birth mothers, our founder gathered a team of intelligent and caring individuals after working with another Utah adoption agency.

Utah Adoption Laws and Processes

Adoption laws are not the same in every state. They include things like the rights of birth mothers and fathers and how open adoption works in a given state. It’s important to know about these differences, especially if you want to understand how to adopt a child in Utah or if you decide to put your child up for adoption. We’ve gathered the essential adoption laws in Utah to help you on your journey through adoption. This information is crucial for understanding if you’re considering adoption for your family.

The consent of a father is required if he is recognized as the father and certain conditions are met, such as not having rebutted his recognition, being adjudicated as the father, filing a declaration of paternity, or being a previous adoptive father (Utah Code Ann. §§ 78B-7-120, 78B-7-120.1, 78B-7-123).

Consent is implied in cases where the parent abandons the child, leaves the child with a third party without identification for thirty consecutive days, fails to maintain a substantial relationship with the child for six months, or fails to respond to notice. Additionally, an unmarried biological father may not need to give consent if the court terminates his parental rights, his declaration of paternity is rescinded, or if it can be shown that the child was conceived in rape (Utah Code Ann. §§ 78B-7-111, 78B-7-120, 78B-7-121).

To preserve the right to notice of an adoption proceeding in Utah, a father must initiate a proceeding to establish paternity (Utah Code Ann. § 78B-6-110).

Regarding financial assistance for expectant mothers during pregnancy in the context of adoption, an expectant mother in Utah may receive assistance for legal, maternity, medical, hospital, counseling, temporary living expenses, and lost wages for up to eight weeks after delivery. Adoptive parents’ financial contributions must be given as an act of charity (Utah Code Ann. § 76-7-203).

Open adoption in Utah involves a postadoption contact agreement detailing visitation, supervision, information exchange, and the adoptive parents’ authority. The court presumes that the adoptive parents’ judgment is in the child’s best interest, and the agreement must be approved before finalization, signed by all parties, and approved by the child if over twelve years old. Modification requires the adoptive parents’ consent, and the court considers factors such as good faith, alternative solutions, and the child’s best interest (Utah Code Ann. § 78B-6-146).

The legal process for adoption in Utah allows consent twenty-four hours after birth, requiring it to be signed in the presence of a judge or authorized individual (Utah Code Ann. §§ 78B-6-124(1), 78B-6-125(1)).