Private adoptions, also known as independent or designated adoptions, occur when the adoptive parents and birth parents meet and connect with each other without the involvement of an adoption agency.

In a private adoption, the adoptive parents and birth mother may find each other through their own networking or advertising efforts, or through mutual acquaintances or family connections.

They work together to decide the terms of the adoption and the level of contact or “openness” they will have after the adoption. Following the match, the adoptive parents typically hire a qualified adoption attorney to handle and run the adoption, with the help of adoption social workers that will separately assist and counsel with the adoptive couple and the birth parents. The attorney and social workers will assist the both sides with completing all the necessary legal requirements, such as a home study, background checks, needed clinical counseling, paperwork and filings, and ensuring that the adoption is completed in compliance with state laws.

Family and Relative Adoptions are considered private adoptions, but in many circumstances, when you are closely related to one of the birth parents, or the child, the adoptive couple may not need an adoption home study.

Same Sex Couples and single individuals can also adopt in Utah and Derek handles many adoptions for these types of families. There are no differences in the law for how these couples are treated when adopting and they follow the same process outlined above.