Information and Guidance

Utah Code tit. 81, ch. 81-14, pt. 81-14-P3

in effect

Utah Code § 81-14-301 Definitions for part.

81-14-301. Definitions for part. As used in this part, "prospective adoptive parent" means an individual who has been approved or permitted under other law of this state to adopt a minor child. Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 426, 2025 General Session

Utah Code § 81-14-302 Scope.

81-14-302. Scope. This part applies to placement for adoption of a minor child who: (1) has been or is in foster or institutional care; (2) previously has been adopted in a state; (3) has been or is being adopted under the law of a foreign country; (4) has come or is coming to a state from a foreign country to be adopted; (5) is not a citizen of the United States; (6) has an attachment or trauma-related disorder; or (7) suffered from prenatal exposure to alcohol or drugs. Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 426, 2025 General Session

Utah Code § 81-14-303 General adoption information.

81-14-303. General adoption information. (1) Within a reasonable time before a child-placing agency places a minor child for adoption with a prospective adoptive parent, the child-placing agency shall provide or cause to be provided to the prospective adoptive parent general adoption information. (2) The information under Subsection (1) shall address: (a) possible physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral issues concerning: (i) identity, loss, and trauma that a minor child might experience before, during, or after adoption; and (ii) a minor child leaving familiar ties and surroundings; (b) the effect that access to resources, including health insurance, might have on the ability of an adoptive parent to meet the needs of a minor child; (c) causes of disruption of an adoptive placement or dissolution of an adoption and resources available to help avoid disruption or dissolution; and (d) prohibitions under Sections 81-14-203 and 81-14-205. Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 426, 2025 General Session

Utah Code § 81-14-304 Information about a minor child.

81-14-304. Information about a minor child. (1) (a) Except as prohibited by other law of this state, within a reasonable time before a child-placing agency places a minor child for adoption with a prospective adoptive parent, the agency shall provide or cause to be provided to the prospective adoptive parent information specific to the minor child that is known or reasonably obtainable by the child-placing agency and material to the prospective adoptive parents informed decision to adopt the minor child. (b) The information under Subsection (1)(a) shall include: (i) the minor child's family, cultural, racial, religious, ethnic, linguistic, and educational background; (ii) the minor child's physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral health; (iii) circumstances that may adversely affect the minor child's physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral health; (iv) the minor child's medical history, including immunizations; (v) the medical history of the minor child's genetic parents and siblings; (vi) the history of an adoptive or out-of-home placement of the minor child and the reason the adoption or placement ended; (vii) the minor child's United States immigration status; (viii) medical, therapeutic, and educational resources, including language-acquisition training, available to the adoptive parent and minor child after placement or adoption to assist in responding effectively to physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral issues; and (ix) available records relevant to the information in Subsections (1)(b)(i) through (viii). (2) If, before an adoption is finalized, additional information under Subsection (1) that is material to a prospective adoptive parent's informed decision to adopt the minor child becomes known or reasonably obtainable by the child-placing agency, the child-placing agency shall provide the information to the prospective adoptive parent. (3) If, after an adoption is finalized, additional information under Subsection (1) becomes known to the child-placing agency, the child-placing agency shall make a reasonable effort to provide the information to the adoptive parent. Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 426, 2025 General Session

Utah Code § 81-14-305 Guidance and instruction.

81-14-305. Guidance and instruction. (1) A child-placing agency placing a minor child for adoption shall provide or cause to be provided to the prospective adoptive parent guidance and instruction specific to the minor child to help prepare the parent to respond effectively to needs of the child that are known or reasonably ascertainable by the child-placing agency. (2) The guidance and instruction under Subsection (1) shall address, if applicable: (a) the potential effect on the minor child of: (i) previous adoption or out-of-home placement; (ii) multiple previous adoptions or out-of-home placements; (iii) trauma, insecure attachment, fetal alcohol exposure, or malnutrition; (iv) neglect, abuse, drug exposure, or similar adversity; (v) separation from a sibling or significant caregiver; and (vi) a difference in ethnicity, race, or cultural identity between the minor child and the prospective adoptive parent or other minor child of the parent; (b) information available from the federal government on the process for the child to acquire United States citizenship; and (c) any other matter the child-placing agency considers material to the adoption. (3) The guidance and instruction under Subsection (1) shall be provided: (a) for adoption of a minor child residing in the United States, a reasonable time before the adoption is finalized; or (b) for an intercountry adoption, in accordance with federal law. Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 426, 2025 General Session

Utah Code § 81-14-306 Information about financial assistance and support services.

81-14-306. Information about financial assistance and support services. On request of a minor child who was placed for adoption or the minor child's adoptive parent, the child-placing agency placing the minor child or the Division of Child and Family Services shall provide information about how to obtain financial assistance or support services: (1) to assist the minor child or parent to respond effectively to adjustment, behavioral, and other challenges; and (2) to help preserve the placement or adoption. Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 426, 2025 General Session

Utah Code § 81-14-307 Child-placing agency compliance.

81-14-307. Child-placing agency compliance. (1) The Division of Licensing and Background Checks, created in Section 26B-2-901, may investigate an allegation that a child-placing agency has failed to comply with this part and commence an action for injunctive or other relief or initiate administrative proceedings against the child-placing agency to enforce this part. (2) (a) The Office of Licensing may initiate a proceeding to determine whether a child-placing agency has failed to comply with this part. (b) If the Office of Licensing finds that the child-placing agency has failed to comply, the Office of Licensing may suspend or revoke the child-placing agency's license or take other action permitted by law of the state. Amended by Chapter 153, 2026 General Session

Utah Code § 81-14-308 Rulemaking by Division of Licensing and Background Checks.

81-14-308. Rulemaking by Division of Licensing and Background Checks. The Division of Licensing and Background Checks, created in Section 26B-2-901, may adopt rules under Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, to implement Sections 81-14-303, 81-14-304, 81-14-305, and 81-14-306. Amended by Chapter 153, 2026 General Session

Source: Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel (le.utah.gov)URL: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title81/Chapter14/81-14-P3.html?v=C81-14-P3_2025090120250507Fetched: 10/26/2026