Does a father have to sign adoption papers for an unborn child if he is a minor?
Well, it’s complicated! First off, sadly, laws vary from state to state. Unfortunately not all states require that the father sign off on the adoption to make it legal. Most states have a putative fathers registry. But the time frames for signing the registry vary from state to state & often, if the father doesn’t know he’s going to be a dad, or doesn’t know the child has been born, he may miss his window of opportunity. http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/l… http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/l… Secondly as to the issue of a minor becoming a parent: again, laws vary by state. Simply becoming a parent doesn’t automatically grant a minor emancipation in every state. However, that doesn’t mean a parent can’t make decisions for themselves & their child.
