What is the Putative Father Registry, and how might it affect me as the babys mother?
A.: A “putative father” is a man who may be the father of a child, but who either is not married to the child’s mother by the time the child is born or has not established his paternity through a court or administrative proceeding or by completing an acknowledgment of paternity affidavit before an adoption petition for the child is filed. The Registry was established to determine the identity and location of a putative father so that the putative father can be notified before an adoption petition is filed. If a man does not register with the Putative Father Registry before the child’s birth or no later than 30 days after the child’s birth, the child could be permanently adopted without the putative father’s knowledge or consent. Q.: Can the baby’s father keep me from having the baby, even though I want to continue the pregnancy? A.: No. Q.: Can the baby’s father keep me from placing the baby for adoption? A.: Yes, but only if he has established the right to be consulted about the adopt
