Home
>
Parenting
>
The Top 5 Reasons Why Unwed-Parents Must Establish Paternity

The Top 5 Reasons Why Unwed-Parents Must Establish Paternity

"It takes a village to raise a child" is more than an African proverb, and when the village is small and one parent is missing the task becomes even more challenging. Fortunately, being proactive and understanding your rights as a parent will help alleviate any issues that might arise as you take on the role of single parent. Every child has the right to a parent-child relationship with both parents, and all three deserve an opportunity to develop, enjoy and grow in the relationship.

Establishing Paternity

1. Every child has the right to know both parents and have the father's name appear on the birth certificate. Voluntarily establishing paternity is not expensive and does not have to involve an attorney or attorney fees. Both parents may contact the State Department/Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Central Paternity Registry, or the Department of Community Health and request an Affidavit of Paternity. There may be a small fee for filing this document but it will ensure legal paternity is established.

Paternity Testing

2. Paternity testing is a series of genetic tests used to indicate the likelihood that a man is, or is not the biological father of a child. The most common method used today is DNA testing which are 99.9 percent accurate in determining that a man is not the father. The child can be tested at any age, and the DNA test is obtained by rubbing a cotton tipped swab on the inside of the check or DNA can be extracted from blood or other tissues. The court will determine who will pay for the paternity test. Laboratories performing paternity test should be accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB).

Financial Security

3. The law requires both parents support their children. This is true even if the pregnancy is unplanned. Children supported by one parent often do not have enough money for their needs. A child support order cannot be established if paternity is not proven.

Survivor & other Benefits

4. Medical and dental insurance may be available through the non-custodial parent's employer, union, or military service. Medical assistance programs may be available through the local and/or state family/child assistance agencies. If something should happen to either parent, the child could qualify for Social Security, pensions, inheritance rights, veterans' benefits and life insurance. Paternity must be established to receive these benefits.

Keep Track of Child Support Information

5. It is imperative that both parents, (the custodial and non-custodial) keep track of parent information, parenting time, (visitations), receipt of child support payments, court ordered or not, names of child support workers, attorney contacts, names of judges/referees, docket/court numbers etc. concerning the child support case. Remember to keep this information in a secure location and let someone you trust know where this information can be found in the event of an emergency.

Detra D. Davis is a writer and Consultant with over 20 years of experience. She is a former Public Health Educator and has taught a number of workshops promoting the importance of establishing paternity and paying child support. Detra may be reached at http://www.supportingourchildren.com or by mail at J. Davis & Associates Publishing, P. O. Box 4935, Cary, North Carolina 27519-4935.

disinfecting cleaning services Winnetka ..

In The News:

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

The Top 5 Reasons Why Unwed-Parents Must Establish Paternity

Parenting