Frequently Asked Questions

An expectant mother might be 17 or 42. She might have other children. She might be of any race, religion or culture. Each birthparent we work with is different in many ways.     

Birthparents are required by the state of Utah to fill out forms with non-identifying health information. This includes mental health, genetic history and current health concerns. This is all provided to the adoptive parents.

Because the majority of expectant parents choose the potential adoptive family, it is difficult to predict how long a family will wait. Families have waited as little as three days to longer than three years. The length of your wait often depends on your level of openness regarding contact with the birthparents after placement, adopting a child of a different race, openness to substance use or history of mental health challenges.

If the birth mother is in need of financial support, she will be provided with housing and living expenses as deemed appropriate for her condition and related to the pregnancy. This assistance may include rent, maternity clothing, and food. She may also be provided assistance for up to six weeks following delivery. A portion of the adoptive family’s adoption fee goes toward this financial support. Any hospital bills related to delivery not covered under her insurance are to be paid by the adoptive parents should she make a plan of adoption.

In Utah, once a birthparent has signed the relinquishment papers, they are not able to change their mind. This is why it is so important that birthparents are clear on their decision before signing. The earliest a birth mother can sign relinquishment papers in the state of Utah is 24 hours after delivery. Most women choose to sign prior to hospital discharge which is typically at 48 hours. CSS will notify any potential birth father and make him aware of his rights and responsibilities. You will be notified of any legal risk that is known if he has not also signed relinquishments. We encourage birth father involvement and we will not participate in the unethical placement of a child.

Please understand the difficult decision an expectant mother is making. Some women who plan to place a child for adoption have a change of heart before they sign the relinquishment papers. This can be very difficult when it happens. Your caseworker will be there to provide support through this challenging time. We recommend that you prepare yourself and your family for this potential situation. Birth parents have the right to change their mind at any time before signing the relinquishment papers and this right should be fully respected.

In the state of Utah, any potential father must pursue his parental rights before the adoption takes place by filing a claim for paternity with the Utah Department of Health Office of Vital Records. If he does not do this, he cannot come back after the adoption. This becomes more difficult if he lives out of state. In that situation the laws of the other state must be followed as well. We will inform you of the father’s rights and any legal risk. CSS believes it is important to notify any potential fathers as soon as possible and to involve them in planning for their child. Their information and input is invaluable to the child. You may want to consult with an adoption attorney on legal matters that involve a potential birth father’s rights.

A home study or adoptive evaluation is a state required documentation process that covers your readiness and ability to adopt. A licensed social worker will visit with your family in your home. This is an excellent time for the worker to get to know you and understand your motivation to adopt. Although it may appear overwhelming and possibly invasive at first, you will begin to see that it can actually be a positive experience where you are able to share your family’s strengths. Your home study worker is there to help you bring your child home rather than hinder you in the process. Children’s Service Society conducts domestic home studies for families in the state of Utah. Watch our video about what a home study is and why it is important here.

Typically, a domestic home study takes six to eight weeks once you have submitted all required documentation. Most families take about two weeks to gather all the required documents. After you have submitted your home study packet and questionnaire, your worker will schedule a home visit. Following this point, it may take a couple weeks for your worker to compile the information into the home study document.

Adoptive parents must have seen a doctor in the last six months. Several background clearances will be run on each family member over 12 years of age. All criminal acts, no matter how long ago, must be disclosed to the worker. We request five references and contact them regarding your ability to parent an adopted child. Each able family member will be interviewed regarding the adoption process.

Talk to your worker at this time or prior about any concerns you may have about issues in your background. If things have happened in your life that may cause you to believe you could be denied for a home study, please disclose them. If possible, your worker will help you resolve these issues either through education or referral for counseling prior to completing the home study. If you have not disclosed significant information that is uncovered after the home study is complete, this will be automatic grounds for denial of the home study.

Most people often think of the interview as the entire home study, but this is only part of the process. Your worker will likely have significant contact with you prior to coming to your home for the first home visit. The initial interview typically takes two to three hours. Each family member who is old enough will be interviewed and must be present for some part of the interview.

You will be asked questions from the following general areas:

• Desire and motivation to adopt
• Family of origin and youth
• Interests and hobbies
• Marital relationship
• Health
• Parenting and discipline styles
• Employment, home, and finance
• Religion
• Adoption preparedness

The worker will also tour your home to ensure it is safe and appropriate for a child. Critical safety features that will be checked are smoke detectors and fire extinguishers on each floor, locking doors and windows, cleanliness, weapons, medications and cleaning supplies kept out of reach of children, and general safety of the home. If there is any area of the home in significant disrepair, you will be asked to correct this prior to approval of your home study.

CSS does not offer international adoption services.  We recommend that you contact a Hague-Accredited international placing agency.

Beginning November 1, 2025, Utah will implement a significant change in adoption law, granting adult adoptees access to their original birth certificates and other adoption-related court records. Additionally you can request non-identifying information from your adoption file (physical description, medical information, hobbies, religion, etc.). You can also join the Connections program, where CSS contacts your birth parents or birth child for you and asks if they are willing to share more information or to have contact with you.

You must be 18 years old to request non-identifying information or join the Connections program.  If you are not yet 18, we must have your parents consent. You must also be 18 to file an Affidavit of Consent with CSS, which is a legal form that allows us to release your name and other contact information to your birthparents, if they were to contact us looking for you.  Download the form for adoptees here. You may place a letter in your file for your birthparents at any time, however.  If they contact CSS, we will pass that letter on to them. We also encourage you to sign up for Utah’s Mutual Consent Registry. If your birth family also registers, Vital Records will notify both parties and exchange contact information.  You must be 18 years old to register.

Most agencies will not facilitate any sort of contact between adoptee and birthparent until the adoptee is 18 or 21 (depending on that state’s age of majority) unless they had an open or semi-open adoption to begin with; and even then they will only go so far as to keep a letter in the file to pass on to either party should they call for information. Additionally, an adoptee must be 18 to sign up for Utah’s Mutual Consent Registry; however, there is no official law stating when an adoptee can or cannot “find” their birthparents. The information available nowadays on the internet has made searching for birthparents a much easier task than it has ever been, and many teenagers are savvy enough to at least make an attempt. Some ways you can help your biological child find you:

Sign up for Utah’s registry (if the adoption was in Utah; otherwise find out if your state has a registry.)

If the adoption was through an agency, contact that agency and ask to leave a letter or an affidavit of consent to contact in your adoption file. Make sure to keep your contact information current with the agency, in case you move.

Do a google search of “free adoption registries” and sign up for as many internet registries as you can. The most common is at Adoption.com.

Have an internet presence. Make sure you are visible on social media, and talk to the world about your adoption story and wish to be found.

Take a DNA test through websites such as Ancestry, 23andMe, or MyHeritage, which will match you with individuals who share your DNA.  An increasing number of adoptees are locating biological family through such tests.

Children’s Service Society (CSS) also offers the Connections program, a confidential intermediary program. This is only available to past clients of CSS, but it has been very successful. Both adoptees and birthparents are allowed to initiate a search, but our policy is that the adoptee must be at least 18 years old in order to be found. A minor can initiate a search, but they must have their adoptive parents’ written permission. CSS also allows for a letter to be placed in your file, and you will be notified if the other party contacts us and receives the letter. See more information on our Connections page.

We cannot make any guarantees, but we will exhaust every search avenue we are aware of. As of right now, our success rate for finding at least one birthparent is 98%, and for finding adoptees is 100%.

Again, no guarantees can be made, but the average time has been about two months from the time of application until the birth relative is contacted. Some searches can take months, if we are looking for someone who has changed names or moves often.  But some searches are very quick, and contact is made in a matter of days.  Social media has made finding people easier in recent years!

Only about 15% of people we have contacted have chosen not to take part in a reunion. It is important to remember that there are many, many factors that could hinder a reunion: A birthmother may not have told her spouse and/or children about the adoption; an adoptee might not know they were adopted; or either party might have someone who would not be supportive of a reunion, just to name a few. Those people we locate through the Connections who may not agree to contact are always told that they can change their minds at any time. Their situation may change in the future.

This is not uncommon, unfortunately, especially for adoptees who are older.  In this situation we will reach out to the person’s next of kin: for a birthparent, that could be other children they had, or their siblings; For an adoptee, their adoptive parents or siblings. As much as you might feel that you are prepared to find that your birth family member is no longer alive, you may still be highly affected to find a grave at the end of your search.  We understand that to learn about your deceased birth family member and to see some photos or mementos might help in your healing process.  We will do our best to connect you with someone who can share those things with you.

If you have questions about other resources that might support your family, reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 801-707-3601.