Our mission
Forever Bound Adoption’s mission is to benefit children by providing education, guidance and lifelong support to create, sustain and preserve nurturing families.
Founded in 2012, Forever Bound Adoption is a licensed 501(c)3 adoption agency. We are passionately committed to the belief that every child deserves a nurturing, permanent family. We serve children, birth parents and adoptive families.
Steve Sunday is founder and president of Forever Bound Adoption. He has over 40 years of experience in this field and he has a message for you. Whether you are a birth parent, an adoptive family, or an adoption advocate, he wants you to understand the commitment his organization has to helping children find permanent loving homes.
OUR VALUES
- Child-Centered Focus: Our primary client is the child, who has no voice and often no advocate. The focus for all we do is whether we are acting in the child’s best interest.
- Integrity: Forever Bound Adoption strives to uphold the highest ethical standards of practice, acting with honesty while respecting the rights of all parties.
- Compassion: Our care for clients extends beyond empathy to compassion. Our compassion moves us to put resources in place that make a difference in the lives of our clients.
- Committed: We have a lifelong commitment to the children, women, and families we are privileged to serve.
- Ethical: We practice ethical adoption. Each year, Forever Bound Adoption receives referrals from those who are experiencing a crisis or unplanned pregnancy. Our caseworkers provide support to expectant parents without pressure or cost.
CONSIDERING ADOPTION?
Choosing adoption will likely be the hardest choice you ever make. And, you might
CONSIDERING ADOPTION?
Choosing adoption will likely be the hardest choice you ever make. And, you might waiver throughout your pregnancy. However, if you truly feel that it is the best option for your child, you will become part of a strong, supportive community.
Someone is always here to talk to you.
Call 801-821-1354
Meet Our Team
With a Proud Total of Over
200 Years of Combined Experience
Steve Sunday
Founder & CEO
Steve Sunday has worked in the field of adoption for more than four decades as a caseworker, supervisor, and administrator. Currently, he is the Founder and President/CEO of Forever Bound Adoption, as well as an advisor to the adoption advocacy support organization, United for Adoption.
Since graduating with his MSW in 1981 from Arizona State University, he has worked professionally in Arizona, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma and Utah. He has taught students at the collegiate level in three states. He has also spent hundreds of hours coaching and mentoring young people, largely on a volunteer basis.
Steve was the project lead on the award winning “Adoption, It’s About Love” television and radio commercials in partnership with Bonneville Communications. He spent approximately 30 years of his career with LDS Family Services. In 2009, he was appointed to the board of directors for the National Council for Adoption. Steve also served on the board of directors for the Foster Care Foundation of the State of Utah for six years. He was named the adoption “Professional of the Year” in 2013 by the Utah Adoption Council.
More recently, Steve was selected to represent adoption experts and professionals as part of the April 2020 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services panel on private infant adoption policy in Washington D.C. He is a passionate advocate for the needs of children not only in the United States, but worldwide.
Reflecting on his life’s work, Steve commented that it has been one of the choicest blessings in his life to be associated with the great work of caring for children and building families. Family is central to Steve’s personal life, as well as to his professional life. Steve and his sweetheart, Karen, have been married for over 40 years and have seven children and twenty five grandchildren.
Karen Sunday
Vice-President / Manager of Operations
Karen is the glue that keeps everything in working order at Forever Bound Adoption. She is the one that helps our adoptive couples move along as they work to gather and complete required documents for their adoption. Karen is married to Steve Sunday so she has been by his side, involved with adoption, for over 40 years. When not working in the office she loves biking, running, and hiking. She loves to cook and play with her many grand kids.
Shannon Lyon
MSW/LCSW, Executive Director Utah
Shannon received an undergraduate degree from Utah State University and then completed her master’s degree in social work at the University of Utah. She worked for the Division of Child and Family Services as a permanency worker and completed internships at the Christmas Box House, Youth Services and LDS Family Services. Shannon worked for five years as a full-time employee of LDS Family Services managing the itsaboutlove.org website and then as the Services for Children manager for the Salt Lake office. Currently she provides options counseling to pregnant mothers and assists adoptive couples. She also provides mental health counseling and enjoys working with teens and adults.
Lisa Manery
LCSW/CAP, Executive Director Idaho
Lisa has worked in adoption for the Past 23 years where she has worked with all members of the adoption circle. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in social work from Utah State University and her Master’s Degree from the University of Hawaii Manoa. Lisa is a licensed clinical social worker and a certified adoption professional for the state of Idaho. Her life has been personally touched by adoption as she is an adoptee and an adoptive mother of a wonderful daughter. She feels adoption is the most amazing gift one can give and one can receive. She strives to provide options, education and support to all members of the adoption circle.
Jared Van Orden
Funding Coach and CFO
Jared has a background in Entrepreneurship and Financial Management. He enjoys working with organizations and businesses to help them clearly define their objectives and surround those objectives with processes and systems to meet their goals.
In his spare time, he gives his time and energy to worthy causes that impact the community where he lives and loves. Some of that time is spent consulting with individuals who want to begin their dream of business ownership or are currently involved in their dream and want to take it to the next level.
He has three unique and talented children that make his heart happy that joined his family through the miracle of adoption. Each represent to him the strength and beauty of mankind and the greatest blessings from above. His hope is to elevate those with whom he associates, so take the time to let him know how he can help you.
Shareen Winegar
Executive Secretary
Shareen has bachelor’s degree in Family and Human Development from Utah State University. Before leaving to raise her family, she worked as the Community Services Director for a private non-profit. She gained a great appreciation for the work of adoption agencies after her brother and his wife adopted a beautiful little girl. She hopes to help other couples find joy in building their families through adoption. She and her husband have three children.
Katherine Hadley
Assistant Secretary
Katherine is a secretary in Forever Bound Adoption’s main office. She graduated from Utah State University with a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences with an emphasis in Medical Dietetics. She is married to her husband Ted, and they have four children. She loves spending time with her family, watching her children’s sporting activities, playing tennis, waterskiing, and traveling.
Carrie Nelsen
ICPC Specialist
Carrie has witnessed the miracle of adoption within multiple generations of her family. She worked for ten years at LDS Family Services before joining the FBA team. Carrie has extensive experience in the field of Interstate Compact. Additionally, she works in the Justice Court. She is passionate about doing her part to help build families. Carrie received her BS degree in Business Management from Western Governors University.
Carrie and her husband Mike have five children and six grandchildren (that number is growing). They also have a farm and raise beef cattle. It was a story of an island girl that fell in love with a Montana rancher…
Mariah Langston
Social Media Specialist
Mariah is excited to be a part of the Forever Bound Adoption team and enjoys helping us grow using her social media expertise. She lives in Cache County with her husband and three children. She has a passion for people that led her to become a Registered Nurse, which she does part-time. She loves that she gets to spend most of her days at home with her kids! When she’s not chasing around her little ones or dressing people’s wounds, you can find her online promoting our adoptive couple’s profiles.
Melisa Russell
MPC, Website Manager
Melisa holds a Master of Professional Communication degree from Weber State University. She works in media coordination and is a writer by nature, but happily serves as our website manager. She enjoys managing the Forever Bound site because she feels “…the work being done here is important, it means something. It feels good to be a part of that.” She enjoys, reading, music, travel, and spending time with her family and friends.
Amy Curtis
LCSW, Adoption Caseworker
Amy received a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in clinical social work from Brigham Young University. She is a licensed clinical social worker and a certified employee assistance professional. She worked the first twelve years of her career in Boise, Idaho as a clinical therapist and certified adoption provider. She has also spent six years working as a program manager for an adoption agency and a clinical supervisor. Amy is an adoptive mother with a commitment to teaching members of the adoption triad the importance of healthy and strong connections.
Charity Goodrich
MC/CMHI, Adoption Caseworker
Charity received her Bachelor’s degree in Counseling from Utah State University and her Masters in Counseling from University of Phoenix. Charity has worked in the foster care and adoption field for 15 years. She is passionate about helping families grow through adoption as well as helping birth parents feel supported and loved throughout their placement experience. Her love for adoption extends into her personal life as she and her husband are the proud parents of five children, all of whom they have adopted. She feels she has learned a lot over the years, both personally and professionally, and is very grateful for the chance to help others have the same amazing experiences.
Charity is married and a mother of five. She lives in Cache County.
Natalie Roe-Johnson
MSW, Adoption Caseworker
Natalie received a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Weber State University in 2010. During her Bachelor’s degree she completed an adoption related internship at LDS Family Services and has worked in the field of adoption since. Natalie went on to complete a Master’s Degree of Social Work from The University of Utah. After becoming a Clinical Social Worker Natalie has worked with private infant adoption agencies and as a Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiter where she advocated and recruited for children waiting in Utah’s Foster Care System.
Natalie has served as the president of United for Adoption’s Conference Committee for three years and has been active in the adoption community for 10+ years. Natalie currently facilitates an adult adoptee support group and provides adoption counseling for adoptees and expectant parents. Natalie is an adult adoptee herself and she has a passion for adoption education for all those in the adoption triad.
Brittany Fowers
BS/SSW, Adoption Caseworker
Brittany earned a Bachelor’s of Social Work from Weber State University in 2005 and she has worked as an adoption caseworker for the last eleven years. She has a passion for working with and advocating for adoptive couples and birth families. She believes every adoption is a miracle and loves the work she does. Brittany spends her free time enjoying the outdoors with her husband and two children.
Pam Taylor
BS/SSW, Adoption Caseworker
Pam completed her undergraduate degrees in sociology and social work from the University of Utah. For the past 11 years she worked as an adoption and birth parent caseworker for LDS Family Services, providing pre and post adoption services. She holds a special place in her heart for both the giver and the receiver within the adoption world. Pam enjoys running, hiking and spending time with her husband and family which includes five grandchildren.
Marissa King
Birth Parent Case Aide
Marissa is excited to be a part of Forever Bound Adoption. Marissa is a birth mother with a fun-loving open adoption. She was born in Salt Lake City Utah. She’s the youngest in her family. Marissa works as an Office Manager for a Mortuary. She loves to help others and be there for everyone around her. Marissa loves sharing her story and helping the world see the true beauty in adoption. She jumps at any chance she gets to be helpful when it comes to anything involving adoption. Marissa is still located in the Salt Lake City area. She loves to spend time with her family and her dog. Marissa also decided to parent a little boy. She loves being a mother and a birth mother! She has big plans for her future and can’t wait to get the ball rolling on her goals. She loves trying new things and being adventurous. She’s a very open-minded free spirit who loves adoption and to be there for those around her.
Suzanne Evensen
Caseworker
From the day her parents brought her home from the adoption agency (at two days old), Suz has been passionate about adoption. Her mom used to have to tell her “You don’t need to tell every single person you meet that you’re adopted.” because Suz was so proud of it. Suz went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in social work from Brigham Young University so she could pursue her dream of working in the field of adoption with pregnant women and adoptive couples. She was able to complete an internship at the agency where she was adopted, where she also worked at a later date. Suz truly enjoys working with teens and adults and talking to anyone about adoption. She is so happy to be part of the Forever Bound team/family. She and her husband have three children, two of which are married, so now five! She loves spending time with family, playing pickle ball, mountain biking and enjoying time with friends.
Kaylan McArthur
Caseworker, Outreach Coordinator
Kaylan graduated from Weber State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. She has a passion for working with families and individuals and helping them achieve their goals. Kaylan has always been fascinated by adoption and enjoys being involved in all of the steps in the adoption journey. Kaylan loves being outdoors and enjoys anything that includes spending time with her family.
Brittany Fielding
Adoption Caseworker, Medicaid Specialist
Brittany received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah in Human Development and Family Studies. She previously worked as the Recruitment Coordinator for three years at the non-profit organization Raise the Future. During her time there, she learned invaluable lessons on the importance of compassion and empathy. She believes that every role each individual plays in the adoption process is equally vital to create a loving and healthy environment for a child to grow up in. She is passionate about helping families grow and find resources to support them throughout their adoptive journey. In her free time, Brittany enjoys audiobooks, digital artwork, and spending time with her husband and two children.
Denice Beacham
Adoption Caseworker – BS, Educator, Parent Advocate
Denice earned her Bachelor’s of Psychology from Southern Utah University and has extensive training in Trauma. She is a Foster Care Educator-preparing and educating families to become Foster and potentially adoptive parents, Family Advocate, Parent Coach-providing parenting skills and advocating services for at-risk families and has volunteered through LDS Family Services to promote adoption and provide guidance to birth mothers. She is dedicated and passionate about improving care and assisting families to achieve well-being and to build and strengthen families.
Denice’s most loved work is the work she has done as a mother. Denice has 4 biological children and her life has been blessed with the adoption of 2 children. Denice is a current Foster and Adoptive parent and has been a Foster Parent for the last 25 years and enjoyed caring for children placed within her care and in her home. Denice enjoys being with her children, being in the outdoors, reading, traveling and serving others.
She is excited about her work with Forever Bound Adoption. She brings life experience and is excited and hopes to support others in their journey of creating their forever bound family through adoption. She holds a great respect for birth mother’s making the difficult, self-less, and loving decision to place their babies with a loving family for adoption. The love that a birthmother exhibits by making this choice will forever touch my heart!
Brooke Hill
Caseworker, MSW
Brooke received her bachelor’s degree from Utah Valley University and went on to get her master’s degree in social work from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Brooke immediately started working for the State of Utah after getting her master’s degree working with abused and neglected children in foster care. She has been with DCFS for almost 8 years and while she admits that her job is hard, it is also rewarding. She has held many positions within DCFS and is currently working with kinship families who are caring for foster children. Brooke enjoys seeing children thrive in a safe secure environment whether it be with their biological families or their bonus/adopted families. Brooke is excited to work with Forever Bound Adoption, helping families to prepare to adopt a child into their home. When she is not working on strengthening other families, she enjoys being with her own kids, traveling, being outside, and creating memories.
Paige Hardcastle
Caseworker
Paige was adopted through LDS Family Services over 20 years ago, and has since been able to grow a great relationship with her birthmother. She has always loved the way the caseworker handled their case and did everything she could to make the adoption process a good one. Paige wanted to try and give that same experience to others going through the adoption process. She received her Bachelors degree from Weber State University. She has a passion for helping others and bringing families together. In her free time she enjoys spending time with family, being outside, and doing artwork.
Have Questions?
Adoption can be overwhelming, you probably have a lot of questions. Contact us anytime. We can answer your questions and help you understand the adoption process.
