How Do You Open Closed Adoption Files In Washington State?
Washington state adoption records are confidential and can only be opened with a court order. If you are an adoptee under 21 years of age, you must have your adoptive parents’ consent to petition the court for your file, and if you are the birth relative of an adoptee, you must wait until she has come of age to conduct your search. Within these restrictions, all Washington state adoptees and birth relatives can gain access to their adoption files if they go through the proper legal channels. Gather all the information you have on the adoption. Make a list of known facts and, if you have any documents proving those facts, compile them and make copies. The more information you can provide, the faster the authorities will be able to identify your case and issue your court order. The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, which manages adoptions, lists the adopted child’s birth name, date of birth, adoptive name, adoptive parents’ names, the date of the adoption and the
