At The Adoption Exchange, we believe that every young person deserves to go through life knowing that they have a caring adult by their side. Every day we work to improve the lives of youth touched by foster care.

For over thirty years, we have recruited, trained, and supported biological, foster, and adoptive families to ensure every youth has that relationship and so that every relationship helps that child to heal. Our organization was founded almost thirty-five years ago in deep partnership with the State of Utah, with the goal of sharing ideas and solutions across the region. Our work in Utah goes well beyond adoption from foster care, and we are in the midst of changing our name to Raise the Future to better reflect the breadth and depth of the work we do with children and families.

Late last week, we were notified by the State of Utah that we had been selected through a competitive bid process to provide foster parent recruitment, training, and support services. The proposal we submitted was based on the belief that the heart and soul of foster parent recruitment is the support of foster parents – and that together, with the right tools and supports, we can achieve the goal of getting kids back home with their families whenever possible.

Over the past twenty years, Utah Foster Care has been doing this work under a contract with the State of Utah. While the contract has been put out for competitive bid in the past, this is the first time the award has gone elsewhere. We profoundly understand the surprise and the angst that this announcement has caused in the community. Utah Foster Care’s work has been transformational for kids and families. Relationships have been built, and trust has been formed. They have been our partners and compatriots in this work, too; they are our friends and co-workers.

Like you, we are all still processing this news. We understand that everyone has questions about both the award process and the transition. As the award process is under review, let us all remember that the best ideas are developed when we are challenged to think creatively, when new ideas are brought to the table, and when we always strive to do more. As a nonprofit organization, there is no financial gain from this work – only a deep commitment to the most vulnerable children. Our hope is not to “win” the bid; rather, our hope is that the best services are brought to foster parents and the children they serve – regardless of which agency is awarded the contract.

Our goals through this review and possible transition are simple:

• Make sure families know we are here for them and with them, every step of the way.
• Make any transition as seamless as possible for all families, wherever they are in the process.
• Ensure that we bring the best services to families and kids, always.
• Build upon the knowledge, work, and expertise of the past – not tear it down.

We look forward to working hand in hand with Utah Foster Care so that together we can bring the best that we both have to offer and continue to raise the bar for what it means to serve children in foster care.