Does the babys father have to sign a release or consent?
The rights of every possible father must be terminated in order for a child to be legally free for adoption. He can sign a statement that he is not interested in seeking custody of the child. This is handled by the social worker and may be done prior to birth or immediately after. The court then terminates the father’s rights to the child. He does not have to come to the court hearing or appear before the court unless he chooses to do so. If he refuses to sign a custody statement, the court will notify him to appear at a hearing and terminate his rights if he fails to appear. If he can not be identified or located the mother must submit a Declaration of her attempts to identify or locate him. The rights of both parents, married or not, must be terminated before a child can be adopted.
