Child's counsel tells appeals court disclosure was limited and necessary to assess risk to infant

Sierra Sandy, counsel for the child ELDP, urged the Court of Appeals to deny discretionary review and uphold the superior court's authorization of disclosure. She said the order was "sufficiently limited in scope" under federal rules and specified records from Dec. 22, 2025, onward and limited recipients to the court, the Department, the parties and the child's guardian ad litem.

Sandy explained that a signed release can be revoked and that, in this case, the court found alternative means (a revocable release or parent testimony) could be incomplete or unreliable. She emphasized the child's interests under RCW 13.34.020, stating the consequences of incomplete disclosure "could very well amount to be a matter of life or death for this child."