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Are you POSITIVE
you are the father?
There is a big difference between "I might be the father"
and "I am positive I am the father." It might be in your best
interest to find out for sure if you are the father. Check
out these links if you "might" be the father:
Web paternity information
States have published information on the Internet to publicize
their paternity programs to make it as attractive as possible
for fathers to voluntarily sign paternity acknowledgments.
This purpose of this section is to point out and identify
paternity information put on the web by local governmental
agencies, mainly child support enforcement agencies, which
are false and/or misleading.
The first step in looking at
these web pages is to see who is sponsoring these pages and
programs. You will find from the below pages that the sponsors
are the child support enforcement agencies of that state.
Please note the one main theme
that runs throughout these paternity acknowledgment programs
is one of responsibility. In actuality what these programs
are promoting is "selective responsibility". A program
that centers on child support only while ignoring access is
telling fathers that they are only looked at as being a financial
contributor. This is unacceptable.
Hennepin County, Minnesota
The caring people of Hennepin
County have named their paternity program, Recognition of Parentage (ROP). A better name that describes
this program should be RIP, as in RIP-OFF. By signing the
ROP, you conveniently give up the right to have an attorney
represent you, the right to genetic tests, and the right to
a court hearing in the establishment of paternity. If you
did not catch the last sentence, it needs to be repeated again.
By signing the
ROP, you conveniently give up the right to have an attorney
represent you, the right to genetic tests, and the right to
a court hearing in the establishment of paternity.
The only thing that is convenient
about signing the ROP is the ability to reach into your pocket,
without any access to your child. Can you say "child ransom."
Texas
The State of Texas has made
it easy to view their, Texas Child Support
Enforcement Paternity Information, "oh what a (financial)
feeling" statement. The following paragraph is straight from
their information.
"Once we find him,
we'll need to prove that he is your baby's father. One way
is if he signed the birth certificate or an Acknowledgment
of Paternity form at the hospital. It will also help if you
can provide letters in which he claims he is your baby's father,
pictures of him with your baby, diaries, calendars, Mother's
Day or birthday cards or proof of any money he has given you
or your baby. If you have these items, please bring them to
our office."
In 1993 the Texas Supreme Court
recognized a biological father's constitutional
right to establish paternity EVEN when the child is born to
a married couple. See In
the Interest of J.W.T., No. D-1742.
Ohio
Another example is from the
Child Support Enforcement Division of Cuyahoga County, Ohio
(Cleveland), with their Paternity Establishment web page. Even though this page is from
the child support division, they mention Support fifth behind
Identity and Medical on why you should establish paternity.
This is very disingenuous. This pages FAQ's are also very
interesting. The main theme that runs through this page is
the "support of both parents". But the fact that this page
omits is that when the mother and child are on welfare the
ONLY person responsible for supporting the family is the father.
In rounding out this page there is one word that is mysteriously
missing...VISITATION.
California
Coming from California the
Riverside County, California, District Attorney - Family Support
Division. This page supports signing what is called the
"Declaration of Paternity". This page admits that, "In most
cases, signing the form will make it easier to establish paternity
in a court later." Then what is being signed? If it does not
establish legal paternity then what does it do? Well, you
are signing the right to pay child support without establishing
legal paternity and visitation...which again was never mentioned.
Below is the actual disclaimer
on the State of California Paternity Declaration.
Mississippi
The State of Mississippi has a program called "A Simple Acknowledgement
of Paternity" or ASAP PROGRAM. This page does discuss visitation
and says;
"The Division of Child
Support Enforcement does not represent either party in establishing
visitation or custody rights. However, establishing paternity
is the first step needed in order to ask a judge for visitation
privileges. The father will need to seek legal counsel for
advice on visitation and/or custody."
Not so fast State of Mississippi!
Simply tell us who is designated custodian when this, "simple
acknowledgement" is signed? It has to be the parent who will
receive child support, or in other words, the mother. Even though
the State of Mississippi states they do not represent either
party when a paternity acknowledgement is signed, they have
already handed the mother custody without a judges ruling .
Illinois
The State of Illinois web page on Paternity Establishment details
several arm twisting efforts to establishing paternity if
the voluntary acknowledgment of paternity form is not signed.
The web page states;
- Paternity can be established
by default when an alleged father fails to attend a scheduled
interview or to go for a scheduled genetic test without
a valid reason.
- Paternity can be established
by publication of the alleged father's name in the newspaper.
Please note that all a mother
needs to do is select a man who has a reasonable income, place
that name on a form, and then that man has to prove his innocence
against the full force and resources of a state agency. In
essence, the man named is "guilty until proven innocent",
or until he reads the local newspaper.
Illinois even has a program
that enlists the help of Grandparents to establish paternity
called Grandparents A Link in Paternity Establishment.
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