General FAQ’s
Questions About this Site
Becoming a Resource Family for the State of
Utah
General FAQ’s
What are the requirements for adoptive families?
Special needs children require sensitive and committed
families who understand the child's unique emotional and developmental
needs and challenges. These children need parents who are nurturing,
stable, and emotionally strong and who are committed and genuinely
value the abilities and potential of special needs children.
- Successful adoptive families have:
- Appropriate motivations and realistic expectations concerning
the special needs of the children;
- A strong commitment to adoption;
- An ability to sustain long-term relationships;
- Flexibility and emotional openness;
- Good social support systems and knowledge of resources.
You do not have to be rich, childless, or own your own home to
adopt a child. The most important qualification is that you are
committed to providing a safe, stable, and nurturing home for a
child.
What are the costs for special needs adoption?
When you adopt through DCFS there are no placement or application
fees. At the time of adoption finalization you may be responsible
for the attorney's fees and court costs that range from $300.00
- $800.00. In certain cases, an adoption subsidy is available to
cover pre-existing psychological, medical and dental needs of the
child. Legal fees may also be reimbursed through the subsidy program.
Where do I begin?
If you live in Utah and are interested in a child listed on this
web site click on How to Becoming a Resource Family for the State
of Utah. If you live in a different state, you will need to have
a completed, approved adoptive home study before you can be considered
for a child. If you currently have an approved home study, you can
submit it to DCFS for approval. However, you will be required to
attend special needs training provided by the state of Utah or some
comparable training in the area in which you live.
How long does it take to adopt?
Some families may wait only a few days after the completion of the
home study process before a placement is made. Other families may
wait a few weeks or months before the right opportunity for placement
is presented. Much depends upon the type and age of the child you
wish to adopt. The primary concern of The Division of Child and
Family Services is the child's needs, not how long a family has
been waiting for a placement.
By law, a child must be living in your home a minimum of 6 months
before the adoption can be finalized.
How does Utah's Adoption Connection work?
When a child cannot return to his/her family of origin,
the birth parents' rights are legally terminated. If a relatives'
home is not available and no other adoptive placement has been identified
within 30 days after the termination of parental rights, then a
child is listed on this web site. This will make families wanting
to adopt aware of what children are available in Utah, hopefully
providing permanency much quicker for the child who is waiting.
You may view a child's profile and if you would like more information
or would like to talk with the child's caseworker. You may fill
out an inquiry form and send it electronically to them. In turn,
the caseworker will contact you within 2-3 weeks.
Questions About This Site
About this site.
Utah's Adoption Connection was developed and is being managed
by The Adoption Exchange through a contract with the Utah Department
of Human Services (Division of Child and Family Services). The goals
of this web site are to:
Decrease the time children must wait in foster care for a permanent
family;
Make it easier for social workers to find out about possible families
for their children statewide;
Decrease the time families wait for the placement of a child.
Who are the children?
Children who are available for adoption through Utah's
Division of Child and Family Services have been removed from their
own families because of abuse, neglect or other family problems
that make it unsafe for the child to live at home. If the child's
parents can't correct the challenges to make their home safe, then
adoption with a new family usually becomes the goal. The children
available for adoption may have been in foster care for a few months
to a few years. Many are intellectually and developmentally delayed.
Some have physical challenges and require special medical care.
Some children need intensive psychological counseling and treatment.
Many of the children are part of a sibling group and must be placed
with brothers and sisters. Twenty percent of the children placed
are of a minority race. The Division of Child and Family Services
places children of all ages. The average age of a child who is available
for adoption is 9 years old. Most healthy, newborn infants are placed
through independent adoption arrangements or through private agencies.
Generally younger children are placed in a home that will foster
them until they become legally free for adoption.
How many children are available for adoption?
At any given time, the number of available or waiting children
varies depending upon the number of children receiving services
in the foster care system. Fifteen to twenty percent of children
in foster care become available for adoption. The Division of Child
and Family Services places approximately 150 children each year
in legal risk or adoptive placements.
Are all the children on this site legally free for adoption?
Yes, however, there is a caseworker area of this site that
can be accessed by a caseworker with a password. This section has
children who are not yet legally free for whom case workers are
seeking an adoptive/foster home.
What are the requirements for adoptive families?
Special needs children require sensitive and committed
families who understand the child's unique emotional and developmental
needs and challenges. These children need parents who are nurturing,
stable, and emotionally strong and who are committed and genuinely
value the abilities and potential of special needs children.
Successful adoptive families have:
- Appropriate motivations and realistic expectations concerning
the special needs of the children;
- A strong commitment to adoption;
- An ability to sustain long-term relationships;
- Flexibility and emotional openness;
- Good social support systems and knowledge of resources.
You do not have to be rich, childless, or own your own home to
adopt a child. The most important qualification is that you are
committed to providing a safe, stable, and nurturing home for a
child.
What are the costs for special needs adoption?
When you adopt through The Division of Child and Family
Services there are no placement or application fees. At the time
of adoption finalization you may be responsible for the attorney's
fees and court costs that range from $300.00 - $800.00. In certain
cases, an adoption subsidy is available to cover pre-existing psychological,
medical and dental needs of the child. Legal fees may also be reimbursed
through the subsidy program.
Where do I begin?
If you live in Utah and are interested in a child listed
on this web site you can contact The Utah Foster Care Foundation
their toll free number is 1-877-373-3006. You will need to ask for
a recruiter. The Utah Foster Care Foundation helps families through
the application and provides training for all families in the state
of Utah who want to foster or adopt children who are in the custody
of the state. If you live in a different state, you will need to
have a completed, approved adoptive home study before you can be
considered for a child. If you currently have an approved home study,
you can submit it to DCFS for approval. However, you will be required
to attend special needs training provided by the state of Utah or
some comparable training in the area in which you live.
How long does it take to adopt?
Some families may wait only a few days after they are approved
for placement before a placement is made. Other families may wait
a few weeks or months before the right opportunity for placement
is presented. Much depends upon the type and age of the child you
wish to adopt. The primary concern of The Division of Child and
Family Services is the child's needs, not how long a family has
been waiting for a placement.
By law, a child must be living in your home a minimum of 6 months
before the adoption can be finalized.
How does Utah's Adoption Connection work?
When a child cannot return to his/her family of origin,
the birth parents' rights are legally terminated. If a relatives'
home is not available and no other adoptive placement has been identified
within 90 days after the termination of parental rights, then a
child is listed on this web site. This will make families wanting
to adopt aware of what children are available in Utah, hopefully
providing permanency much quicker for the child who is waiting.
You may view a child's profile and if you would like more information
or would like to talk with the child's caseworker. You may fill
out an inquiry form and send it electronically to them. In turn,
the caseworker will contact you within 2-3 weeks
Becoming a Resource Family for the
State of Utah
The process for becoming a resource to the state whether
it is foster care, adoption or adoptive/foster is the same. Three
to five separate agencies can be involved to complete this process.
Each of these agencies provides a different service and interacts
with the family at different stages in the process.
The Adoption Exchange: Recruitment, Wednesday’s
Child, post adoption information and resources.
The Utah Foster Care Foundation: Recruitment,
initial consultation, application, training and retention services.
Office of Licensing: Licenses homes to minimum
standards and completes resource family assessments.
Private Adoption Agency: several agencies are
under contract to provide resource family assessments.
Division of Child and Family Services: Approves
resource family assessments and makes decisions on placing children
in specific homes.
Usually the initial contact is made with The Utah Foster Care Foundation
or The Adoption Exchange through UFCF commercials, KUTV or Wednesday’s
Child and various outreach programs. All inquires are given to a
Foster Care Foundation recruiter who talks with the family about
what their expectations are and what to expect from the process;
and if they are a viable candidate to complete the process.
Training and application
Training is 32 hours and is generally completed in one month. The
training assists families to prepare for the experience of providing
care to children who have been removed from their birth family.
Trainers give out the application and assist with completing the
application process. A certificate is issued after the required
training is completed.
Licensing and assessment
Licensing determines if a family and their home meet the minimum
requirements for health and safety. They complete a resource family
assessment (home study) or may contract with a private agency. (A
license is issued if the family and their home meet the minimum
requirements.)
Determination
The Division of Child and Family Services placement committee reviews
and may approve, defer or deny a family for placement of children
in their custody. If the family is approved the committee then determines
how the division will use the family.
Placement
Depending on the region of the state where the family lives the
placement process varies with individual caseworkers who can determine
placement to placement committees determining placement. In some
regions the process differs depending upon the type of placement
whether it is foster, adoptive/foster or adoption only.
Continued support
Many areas of the state have Resource Family Consultants. These
are DCFS caseworkers who work with foster and adoptive/foster families
to provide ongoing support and assistance. UFCF also provides on
going training to provide additional information for families after
the placement of the child. The Office of Licensing sends out re-licensing
packets yearly for families who are re-licensing as foster parents.
Once a family has finalized an adoption they no longer need a license
unless they continue to provide foster care for other children.
Each DCFS region should have case workers assigned to provide post
adoption support to families after the finalization of an adoption.
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