Thank you for considering adopting a child from foster care and/or fostering in the state of Utah.
Licensing Requirements for Foster or Adoption
Qualifications
- Must be 21 years old or older
- May be single, married, divorced or widowed
- May rent or own your own home or apartment
- May already have children in your home or not have children
- May work outside the home
- May have a small or large income
Process
There are three major steps and three separate agencies involved in completing the process to become a resource family for foster, adopt or foster/adopt. Each of the three agencies provides a different service and interacts with the family at different stages in the adoption process. You must contact the Utah Foster Care Foundation to schedule an initial consultation before registering for the training. To schedule a consultation, please call 1-877-505-5437. Ofrecen asistencia en español: (801) 994-5205.
First Step: Training and Application
Thirty-two hours of training is required and can generally be completed in one month. The training prepares families for the experience of providing care to children who have been removed from their birth family and need foster, foster/adopt or adoptive families. A completed application is required before one can foster-to-adopt in Utah. The Utah Foster Care Foundation provides this application and can assist with completion. A certificate is issued after the required training is completed.
You may contact the Utah Foster Care Foundation to schedule an initial consultation before registering for the training. To schedule a consultation, please call 1-877-505-5437. Ofrecen asistencia en español: (801) 994-5205.
Second step: Assessment and Licensing
Licensing determines if a family and their home meet the minimum requirements for health and safety. They conduct a resource family assessment (homestudy). A license may then be issued if the family and their home meet the minimum requirements.
Third Step: Approval
The Division of Child and Family Services reviews the training certificate, homestudy, license and the application. The Division may approve, defer or deny a family for placement of children in their custody.
Consult the Division of Child and Family Services for adoption and foster care information.
Does it Cost to Foster or Adopt?
It does not cost the family anything to become a foster or adopt family for a child in foster care.
Parent Support Groups
A “Cluster” group is a support group of approximately 15-50 foster, adoptive or kinship families (couples or singles) who organize to support the care giving experience. There are currently 39 cluster groups statewide. These groups are based either on geographical areas or by the specialized care that is provided. View the Cluster Support Groups in your region.
A private agency that also offers support groups is LDS Families Supporting Adopting. You may call for information regarding meetings (801) 240-1711.
For more information about adoption issues, please visit Utah's Adoption Connection website. At the same website is Utah’s Adoption Connection Lending Library. It is just one of a variety of post-adoption services provided by The Adoption Exchange. The Library includes selected titles for both adoptive families and the professionals who serve them. Patrons checkout up to three titles at a time and return them to us within six weeks. As part of a generous donation from Larry H. Miller Charitable Foundation these items can be sent to you free of charge.
Agency Contact and Orientation Information
If you are brand new to the adoption process, it is highly recommended that you attend one or the other of The Adoption Exchange’s Adoption Options class or Adopting Through Foster Care class. The classes are offered once a month and trade off every other month.
The Utah Foster Care Foundation offers a Foster Care Information Night in the Salt Lake area on the second Tuesday of every month from 6:00 to 7:30 pm (excluding holidays). Please call 1-877-505-5437 or visit the Utah Foster Care Foundation for more information.
To get started with the process to foster/adopt through the state of Utah, please contact the Utah Foster Care Foundation. They will refer you to the office closest to where you reside and then arrange for an orientation. Please call 1-877-505-5437 or visit the Utah Foster Care Foundation for more information.
Ofrecen asistencia en español: (801) 994-5205.
Information on Children
The children who are placed in foster care by the Division of Child and Family Services range in age from infants to teenagers. They come from many different backgrounds and reflect the cultural diversity of the state. On any given day in the state of Utah, 2,100 to 2,600 children are in state custody and guardianship because their primary caretakers are no longer able to care for them. On average, 13 to 18 percent of those children will not be able to return home, and they will need another permanent family to love and care for them. These children need safety, acceptance, love and nurturing in a permanent family setting in order to grow into happy, productive adults.