GEORGIA DIVISION OF AND CHILDREN SERVICES CHILD WELFARE POLICY MANUAL

Chapter: (11) Effective July 2021 Policy Putative Registry & Birth Date: Title: Certificates Policy Previous 11.2 103.7 Number: Policy #:

CODES/REFERENCES O.C.G.A §19-11-9 Putative Father Registry; Location of Absent Parents by Department; Assistance of Other Governmental Agencies; Use of Information Obtained Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, Section 475(5)(I)142 Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Act, Public Law 113-183 O.C.G.A §19-8-13 Petition; Filing and Contents; Financial Disclosures; Attorney’s Affidavit; Redaction of Certain Information Unnecessary

REQUIREMENTS The Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) shall: 1. Check the putative father registry to identify possible biological who are not the legal father of the child: a. As part of the diligent search process (see policy 19.20 Case Management: Diligent Search); b. When seeking to terminate parental (voluntary or non-voluntary) (see policy 17.11 Legal: Termination of Parental Rights); and c. In preparation for filling a petition for adoption on or after the earliest of the following: i. The date of a legal mother’s surrender of parental rights; ii. The date of entry of the court order terminating a legal mother’s parental rights; or iii. The date of filing of the petition for adoption. 2. Obtain a certified copy of the official birth certificate with the state registration number and raised seal: a. In preparation for adoption (see policy 11.1 Adoption: Adoption Preparation). Include the original long form birth certificate in the Child Life History (see policy 11.5 Adoption: Child Life History). NOTE: This shall be a long form, not just a short verification. Vital Records has agreed to provide the long form birth certificate when it is stated on the birth certificate request that this is a child to be placed for adoption and the long form is needed. b. For youth eighteen years and older who are of . Provide the original birth certificate to the youth upon exiting foster care (see policy 13.4 Independent Living Program: Transition from Foster Care) NOTE: The youth must have been in foster care for at least six months and is a United States citizen.

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PROCEDURES Putative Father Registry Social Services Case Manager (SSCM) will: 1. Access information on the putative father registry: a. Complete the Vital Records’ Putative Father Registry Search Request form located at the Georgia Department of Public Health, Vital Records website at http://dph.georgia.gov/putative-father-registry. b. Submit the completed form to the vital records department. NOTE: It is not required that DFCS pay the $10 fee. 2. Verify the putative father certificate includes the following for any man acknowledging or indicating the possibility of paternity: a. Name; b. Address; and c. Social security number. 3. Upload the certificate (search results) to Georgia SHINES External Documentation.

Georgia Department of Public Health, Vital Records will conduct the search and return a certification indicating: 1. No information was found; or 2. A registrant on the putative father registry.

Birth Certificates The SSCM will: 1. Obtain a certified copy of the official birth certificate with the state registration number and raised seal: a. Secure a Birth Certificate Request form from the Georgia Department of Public Health at http://dph.georgia.gov/birth-records. b. Complete and sign the form. NOTE: If obtaining the birth certification for adoption purposes, indicate on the Birth Certificate Request form that this is a child to be placed for adoption and the long form is needed. c. Submit the completed form to the County Office of Vital Records where the birth occurred. 2. Upload the birth certificate to Georgia SHINES External Documentation. NOTE: This procedure is only relevant for children born in the state of Georgia; if a child was born in a state other than Georgia, the child’s birth state’s Office of Vital Records for guidance on obtaining a certified copy of the birth certificate.

Birth Certificates – Foundling/Abandoned Child The SSCM will: 1. Obtain a birth certificate for a foundling or abandoned child for whom no birth certificate is available: a. Request that the hospital, which completed the medical clearance on the foundling child immediately after being discovered, register the birth to create a birth certificate with the County Office of Vital Records. NOTE: The hospital facility is required to name the child “Baby Boy/Girl Foundling.” The place the child was found should be used as the child’s place of birth and the Page 2 of 3 Putative Father Registry & Birth Certificates

approximate age based on the doctor’s estimate should be used for the child’s date of birth. b. Along with the court order indicating DFCS has custody of the child, complete the process for a name change with the State Office of Vital Records. NOTE: Allow at least 7-10 business days from the initial hospital visit to ensure the birth registration process has been completed. c. Obtain a copy of the certified long form birth certificate from the State Office of Vital Records using the procedures listed above under birth certificates. Once filed, the name given must be used on all subsequent court orders and legal papers. 2. Upload the birth certificate to Georgia SHINES External Documentation.

PRACTICE GUIDANCE The Putative Father Registry is a list of the names of men who have acknowledged paternity of a child by completing the Paternity Acknowledgment form or have indicated the possibility of paternity without acknowledging paternity of the child. The registry allows possible biological but not legal fathers to provide identifying information about themselves, the mother, and the child so these registered men can be notified about adoption proceedings. The putative father registry is not a public file. Search requests can be made only by: 1. A governmental department, board, commission, bureau, agency, or political subdivision of any state for purposes of locating an absent parent; or 2. The Georgia Department of Public Health, a licensed child-placing agency, or a member in good standing of the State Bar of Georgia, for purposes of locating a biological father.

Use of the putative father registry allows DFCS to ascertain if there is a man or men who alleges that he may be the father of a child born to the mother within the time frame of the birth of this child. The putative father certificate and birth certificate become part of the legal documents freeing the child for adoption and must be included with the voluntary surrender of parental rights documents and termination court orders sent to the Superior Court for adoption finalization.

The putative father registry is a state level option; not every state maintains a putative father registry. DFCS is not obligated to conduct a putative father search in another state; however, if the Social Services Case Manager has knowledge that the birth mother resided in another state at the time of the child's conception and that state maintains a putative father registry, best practice would mandate that the Social Services Case Manager contact the other state and request that a putative father search be performed. Currently 33 states maintain a putative father registry. To find out if a state maintains a putative father registry, conduct an internet search through any popular web search engine such as Internet Explorer® or Google®.

FORMS AND TOOLS Birth Certificate Request (Georgia Department of Public Health) Putative Father Registry – Registration Form (Georgia Department of Public Health)

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