closed adoption

To petition to get your adoption file unsealed contact the Court in the county and state where your adoption was finalized. Ask them for a Petition Form that is used to unseal an adoption file. Some counties are more strict than others but generally a good medical reason can open your file. Generally the file contains the full name and birthdate of the birthmother.

California Search Website: [url]http://www.therighttoknow.info[/url]

Many blessings on your search journey,

Colleen Buckner, The Search Guru

Moderator for Search and Reunion Message Board

Other great websites to check out!

[url]http://www.adoptionchat.com[/url]

[url]http://www.adoptionlists.com[/url]

[url]http://www.adoption.com[/url]

[url]http://www.adopting.org[/url]

[url]http://www.adoptionregistry.com[/url] Hope this helps. Sincerely, ~Sharon

Thank You very much. This does help alot. But actually I did ask them and since i live in oregon and i was adopted and born in idaho and they said i could have a judge anywhere to sign a consent form and then mail it back to idaho and they will useal it for me i just need a good reason for the judge to unseal it. So can i make something up or what do i tell them? thanx again

You probably won't have to make anything up... just emphasize the importance of something that's already there! I pulled the quote in my last post (in red print) directly from a thread in the "Search And Reunion" forum. The thread was entitled, "Opening sealed records" or something like that. You should really go there and read through all the responses, they give some clues about what to say, what good medical reasons to give for opening records. Cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart problems work, apparently... and who DOESN'T have at least one of those problems in their family? From what I've read, it sounds like almost ANY medical excuse will work these days... the more they find out about how hereditary most diseases really are, the less "sealed records" make sense anymore. People need access to their family medical history. It's blatantly unfair that adoptees have to jump through hoops to get this information. So, yes... I would just make something up, if you can't get them to unseal the records any other way. Best of luck to you, ~Sharon

I am wondering the same thing - I just found this forum, and I also have a sealed or closed file - my file was through a private adoption. I was wondering if you'd tried this - or if anyone else had tried this that also lives out of state (ie having a local judge fill out a form and send it to an idaho judge)

Maybe I can help. I was born in Idaho and thought there was no hope of getting information. I contacted the State of Idaho in Boise and they directed me to "Search-Finders of Idaho." There is a fee to join them but they found my mom in one month. We have been reunited for one year. If you contact the state they can at least mail information to you about Search-Finders, and they can also give you the non-identifying info if you don't already have it (like birthdates, hair color, eye color, hobbies, etc.)