Check the Policy in Your State
 Most birthing hospitals participate in some kind of state-funded Paternity Affidavit program. A mother might feel pressure at the hospital to sign the affidavit, even though she may be unsure of the true paternity of her child. Hospitals are pressured to establish paternity because the state feels that if paternity were established in more cases, then there would be fewer claims for public assistance.
There is an assortment of information, some of it editorial in nature, available on the Internet about whether or not a Paternity Acknowledgement Form should be signed. It is best to research your state’s policy and make the decision for yourself. Each state has different rules and regulations regarding this issue and its statute of limitations. Each personal situation is different and should be handled as an individual case.
Signing the Paternity Acknowledgement Form is a voluntary action for both parents. Usually, the father’s name will not be listed on the birth certificate unless both parents sign the form.
The State of Michigan requires birthing hospitals to participate in the completion of the Affidavit of Parentage (AOP) Form. To persuade new parents to sign the AOP at the hospital, the filing fee is waived.
The federal government measures the Paternity Establishment Percentage (PEP) of each state to determine if information regarding the AOP is being distributed efficiently. The goal for each hospital should be to provide new parents with the form and all necessary information, pamphlets, and videos, before they take the child home from the hospital. The federal government would like the new parents to sign the paternity affidavit before leaving the hospital with their newborn. The federal government provides financial incentives for high performance and penalties for low performance. The goal is to keep the PEP at 90 percent.
If the PEP is kept at the federal goal of 90 percent, then 90 percent of babies born to unmarried parents will have both of their parents sign the AOP before leaving the hospital.
This is not always a realistic goal, but in order for birthing hospitals to continue to receive state funding, they must keep the Paternity Establishment Percentage up.
In the State of Washington, the focus is on strengthening their Paternity Affidavit Program. The program began in 1989. Its goal was to provide cooperative unmarried parents an opportunity to sign a Paternity Affidavit at the child’s birth or shortly thereafter. The program provides birthing hospitals with information and training, so that its mission can be carried out accordingly. The hospital staff is asked to show unmarried parents a video and give them reading materials with instructions on how and why to file the affidavit. The hospitals even waive the fee for filing the affidavit, if it is completed before the child leaves the hospital.
This system works only if the alleged father is present at the hospital. Many times, that is not feasible. Sometimes the potential father cannot be present because of incarceration, immigration status, military deployment, age, or the relationship status between the mother and the potential father.
It must be noted that this form, regardless of your state of residence, is to be signed on a voluntary basis. This means that it is voluntary for both the mother and the father. So, if new parents do not agree, or one side rejects the possibility of paternity, then the case must be handled in court.
If the new parents disagree about the paternity of their newborn, a DNA paternity test should be performed by an accredited laboratory. This test will be able to determine the true paternity of the newborn and involves zero health risk.
Pg. 1 >> Establishing Paternity
Pg. 2 >> Changes at Home
Pg. 3 >> Legal Banter
Pg. 4 >> Necessary Testing
Pg. 5 >> Why Establish Paternity?
Pg. 6 >> Check the Policy in Your State
Pg. 7 >> Avoid the Rush
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