Where do I find adoption records in Texas?
I am looking for two sisters and one brother of my father’s. He (Charles) has been searching for sixty years for them. Originally we only knew of Patsy (Patricia, b. 1940) and Tommy (Thomas, b. 1941), but one year ago we found out about another sister (Woodena Sue, b. 1938)–all born in Lubbock, Texas. We dont have a lot of money, but we very much would like to find them…time is running out as they are aging. We heard Tommy may have already passed on (family rumor). Also, while I have been trying to help my father reconnect with Patsy and Tommy (P and T apparently not being adopted until they were older), I have also found two sisters and one brother of Patsy’s, Tommy’s and Woodena’s (and my father’s) still living. We just had a wonderful reunion between one of the sisters and Charles, my father. Let’s have this happen again! Anyone know where to start? I have already checked out TXCare and Adoption.com. Would rather have answers that do NOT include internet adoption registries.
Adoption records are sealed, and you need a court order to open them. I imagine that in order to get a court order, you’d have to have a darn good reason—something more than just ‘because I want to know’. That’s merely my opinion though.
The only suggestion I have at this point is that Dad register with the Texas Central Adoption Registry…but I THINK that MIGHT be the same thing as TXcare.
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/vs/reqproc/forms/vs2271.pdf