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  • Idaho does not have Confidential Intermediaries.
  • Idaho is a Closed Records State. There is no explicit legal provision to allow for disclosure of non-identifying information, although no express prohibition of such disclosure exists.
  • Since 1995, inclusion of hereditary medical information is a mandatory and routine component of all new adoptions.
  • Idaho DOES explicitly allow for direct court petitioning of adoption records WITHOUT showing "good cause" to do so. Petition the court in the county where the adoption took place.
  • Idaho DOES have a Mutual Consent Registry (see below).

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Idaho Voluntary Adoption Registry
 
In Idaho, a mutual consent registry is operated by State Registrar of Vital Statistics. Adult adoptees, birth parents, biological siblings of adult adoptees and biological relatives of deceased adoptees and deceased birth parents may register. Identifying information with regard to birth parents will not be released to an adult adoptee without the consent of the other birth parent UNLESS there is only one birth parent listed on the original birth certificate, the other birth parent is deceased, or the other birth parent cannot be located. No governmental employee may solicit a consent for release of information or registration with the registry. There is no provision for the release of non-identifying information. Registry fee: $10
Bureau of Health Policy and Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0036
They have made it more difficult to find the form on the net, so follow these steps:
 
(1) Right click on the following link and open in a new window: Idaho Voluntary Adoption Registry Registration and Consent for Release of Information
(2)  On the left side of the page, click on "A - Z Index" and then, under "B", click on "Birth Certificates".
(3)  At the bottom of the page, you will find the "Voluntary Adoption Registry Form" listed under "Registry Forms".
(4)  The Form is in pdf format. You may need to right click and save it to your desktop. If you can't open it, let me know and I will send the form to you.

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The Children’s Home Society of Idaho
740 Warm Springs Avenue, Boise, ID 83712
208-343-7813
  • From 1910 to around 1968, they processed most of the adoptions in our area.
  • They provide non-identifying information for a fee. Checks will not be cashed unless they find information.
  • Their form needs to be filled out to verify the identity of the person requesting information.
  • Since they are a private organization, it is their policy not to release any identifying information without a court order; but all non-identifying information is provided. Of course information varies per case.

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Links:

The International Soundex Reunion Registry is the world's largest reunion registry and is a free service.  They do ask for donations.
 
Find Me - Free Mutual Consent Reunion Registry. Volunteers helping to reunite members of the adoption triad.
 
Adoption Reunion A Success Story  -  A beautiful reunion story told from the perspective of the birth mother, her husband, and the birth son.
SEARCH-FINDERS OF IDAHO
Search and Support Group
P.O. Box 7941
Boise, Idaho 83707
 
Search-Finders of Idaho, Inc. was founded in 1987 as a non-profit search and support group for adult adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents and others searching for relatives. They strongly advocate the opening of sealed adoption records to adult triad members.
 
For additional information call:
208 375-9803
208 368-9885 fax
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Obtaining Information from Booth
 
Limited information from the records of the former maternity homes and hospitals can be made available to birthmothers and children born at Booth with documentation of their identity. It should be understood that The Salvation Army never served as an adoption agency. Mothers were referred to an adoption agency of their choice and worked with these agencies independently of Booth Maternity Home. Hence, the only information in our records that may be useful in tracing the whereabouts of a child placed for adoption is the name of the agency that made the placement.
 
With regard to these records, the following services are now available:
  • Reunion Registry
  • Medical Records (released only to a licensed medical doctor)
  • Non-identifying information
  • Counseling and Referral
  • Confidential search to locate birthmothers

If you are interested in obtaining information regarding the Salvation Army Maternity Home and Hospital Records, please email Leslie_Peacock@usa.salvationarmy.org, or call our toll free number 1-800-698-7728, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time and ask for Booth records. A form will be sent to you for notarization. This form must be on file before any acknowledgement of records is given. A processing fee may be charged.

Booth Memorial Hospital
Western Territory Headquarters
180 East Ocean Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90802

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Open Records

Currently, there are five states in which an adult adoptee, whose adoption was finalized in that state, can obtain a copy of his or her original birth certificate on request, without restriction:
  • Alabama - On May 15th, Alabama, the last state in the U.S. to deny adoptees access to their own records in 1991, became the first to open them unconditionally by legislative action. All adults in Alabama who have sealed original birth certificates are able to request these in writing and began receiving them on August 1, 2000. In addition to the sealed birth certificate, any evidence of the adoption contained within the same file will be released as well.
  • Alaska
  • Kansas
  • New Hampshire - As of January 1, 2005 New Hampshire adult adoptees regained access to their original birth certificates. Other records are available by court order only.
  • Oregon - Measure 58, a ballot initiative which opened original birth certificates to Oregon adoptees age 21 years or older, passed on November 3rd, 1998 by a vote of the people. Finally took effect, after a fruitless court challenge, on June 2, 2000.

Some states offer restricted access which includes vetoes, required parental permission (even for adults), mandatory intermediaries. and adoptees born in certain years. Proposals to change the laws are being considered in several states.