A National Putative Father Registry

Abstract

Over one-third of all births are to unwed parents. Adoption proceedings for these children can be delayed, contested, and disrupted when paternity is in question. Highly publicized court cases, such as Baby Jessica's in which an unwed birth father contested her adoption and then initiated litigation, alerted the general public to this issue. Although state Putative Father Registries resolve paternity issues for in-state adoptions, only federal legislation creating a national registry can expedite permanency for children in interstate adoptions.