Comments on: Putative Father Registries

By: stephanie92

stephanie92 — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:21:40 +0000

My fiance and I had been engaged for three months when I got an email from an ex-girlfriend of his saying that he had a two year old son. It was news to both of us. He had told me the story when we first started dating. After they had broken up (her decision) she called several months later to tell him that she was pregnant. She said that she had been cheating on him and she did not know who the father was. Despite his attempts to contact her she did not speak to him for another three months. She called and said it was not his baby and she knew for sure. A few months later she was married. We assumed the man she married was the father and never thought of it again. When she emailed me in December she said that she did not want us a part of the child’s life she just wanted me to know. Her husband seems nice enough and I’m sure they take great care of the baby, but we had to decide to rip apart his life or let him grow up thinking his real daddy didn’t want him. Then we found out that it didn’t matter what we decide we have no rights her husband did a step parent adoption. I know the laws are in place to keep men from being able to sleep around with no repercussions, but aren’t the women just as guilty?

By: Ron and Jessica

Ron and Jessica — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:31:38 +0000

But if he has intercourse with a woman sin’t that his notice that he could be a father? If he then goes to the PFR then he does get the chance to parent if the child turns out to be his right? If he’s on the registry he will be notified right? What is really needed is a better effort to educate men about PFR’s.

By: John

John — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 05:37:56 +0000

Faith, it certainly sounds like he had no right to know of his daughter legally, so there could be no challenge to the adoption. The father should have a right to know of the birth of his child, but this state seems to fit with the idea that some states have the babies are the exclusive property of the mother. Certainly that was the thinking years ago, and oddly it fits well with the argument that abortion is purely a womans choice, she is the only afftected person. You have a great deal of wisdom Faith, what would you think this father should have now in terms of rights with his daughter, visitation, other contact, or none? I am not a fan of required birthparent contact after adoption, but this one stumps me, what would be fair and right? John