Wa Adoption & Non-id info

We tried to get my husband's non-ID info from the state DSHS but they had no file on him. He was so depressed. He already felt like a non-person just from the way his family handled his adoption. So we took a break and now we're going through the court. If anyone has had experience with Island County I'd love to know about it. Janice C.

you never posted the date you were adopted?? I am looking for sis adopted at birth,,,1956

My husband was born in 1957 and, presumably, adopted within a few months.

What county did your husband's adoptive parents live in at the time of the adoption? Contact the Superior Court of the county where the adoptive parents lived at that time and request the non-identifying information (non-id). Majority of the time in WA you can get non-id at the county level. If an agency was involved or if DSHS was involved, you can also request non-id from them as well. Be sure to specify that you want first names, ages/b-dates, along with all the other basic non-id. -Pennu

Pennu, thanks for your input. His parents were living in King Co when he was adopted but we checked with King and they don't have his records. Island Co, his place of birth, won't give out any information without a CI. The county lines were redrawn at some point and the house his folks lived in is now in Snohomish Co. I doubt that anyone goes to the work of transferring adoption records when that happens but even if they did Snohomish has the same policy as Island--nothing without a CI. So we're talking with a CI as of yesterday. The good news is that we have a possible match found through this forum! More about that later.

If Island County, or any other county, tell you that you HAVE to have a CI in order to get ANY info, that is not true. WA State law states that you allowed to get non-identifying information WITHOUT a CI. Here's a link to the law:[url]http://www.leg.wa.gov/RCW/index.cfm?fuseaction=section§ion=26.33.340[/url]. And here's a link to the list of info that WA law includes as non-identifying information: [url]http://www.leg.wa.gov/RCW/index.cfm?section=26.33.020&fuseaction=section[/url] The key is to ask for NON-IDENTIFYING INFORMATION. Snohomish County does give out non-identifying information without any issues. I do know that sometimes smaller counties can be difficult and try to tell you that you MUST hire a CI to get any info at all, but that simply is not true. Cite the law to them if you must "According to WA State law RCW 26.33.340, I am entitled to get non-identifying information without a CI or court order." Ask to talk to their supervisor and go up the chain if you must. Hiring a CI is always an option and works well for many people. It is expensive, though. Good luck! -Pennu

Yes, that's what I used to believe. Reading law is not my forte so someone had to point out the word "may" in that part of the law. "reasonably available nonidentifying information may be disclosed upon the written request for the information from the adoptive parent, the adoptee, or the birth parent"

That means that they don't have to but they may. Some entities feel that they are taking a big risk by giving out any information so they do not. They require a CI.

Thanks for your concern. A real bummer, isn't it?