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Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
P.O BOX 182709
Columbus, Ohio 43218
Who is a Putative Father?
A putative father is a man who may be a child's father, but who is not married to the child's mother on or before the date that the child is born, or who has not established paternity of the child in a court or administrative proceeding or completed an acknowledgement of paternity affidavit before the filing of an adoption petition for the child. If the mother of a child wants to place the child for adoption, the putative father must take steps to show that he is the legal father of that child in order to have the right to stop his child's adoption.
What is the Putative Father Registry
The Putative Father Registry has been established to determine the identity and location of an undisclosed putative father who may have conceived a child for whom an adoption petition has been or may be filed in order to provide notice of the adoption to the putative father. The Registry also facilitates interested parties' efforts to identify a putative father through submission of a request for a search to be conducted on the Putative Father Registry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who should register with the Putative Father Registry?
A man who thinks someone may be pregnant and he feels he may be the father should register with the Registry. This includes a man or a minor who is less than eighteen years of age:
- Who is not married to the child's mother at the time of the child's conception or birth.
- Who has not acknowledged paternity of the child
- Who has not been determined to be the father of the child by a court proceeding or an administrative agency proceeding in this or another state before the date the child is to be adopted.
How does a man register with the Putative Father Registry?
A man must fill out a written registration form, the JFS 01694 "Putative Father Registry Registration Form." The Putative Father Registry form may be retrieved online at www.odjfs.state.oh.us/forms/inter.asp. The form may also be requested by contacting the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), toll free at 1-888-313-3100.
What information must be included on the form entitled "Putative Father Registry Registration Form" (JFS 01694)?
The putative father must provide his complete name, current residence address, Social Security number (optional), name of the mother (including maiden name, if known), mother's most recent address (if known), mother's Social Security number (optional and if known), and the name, sex, and birth date of the child (if known). If the man does not know the birth date of the child or if the child has not yet been born, the putative father should give an estimated date of delivery. The registration form must be notarized. Registry forms that are not notarized are returned to the putative father.
Where should the "Putative Father Registry Registration Form." (JFS 01694) form be sent?
The form must be sent to the:
Ohio Putative Father Registry
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
P.O BOX 182709
Columbus, Ohio 43218
The registration must be received no later than 30 days after the child's birth date
Is there a fee to register with the Putative Father Registry?
There is no fee to register.
What happens if a man does not register with the Putative Father Registry?
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.
How does a man begin the process to establish paternity?
If an individual would like to begin the process of establishing paternity, he should obtain legal representation. In Ohio he may also contact the local county child support enforcement agency (CSEA). The CSEA will provide the individual with information regarding how to establish paternity. More information regarding establishing paternity can be obtained through the child support link at http://jfs.ohio.gov/Ocs/ or you may contact your local CSEA.
How can the putative father obtain legal representation?
The putative father may call a lawyer referral service or access a listing of lawyers at www.ohiolegalservices.org.
What happens if a registered putative father moves to another state? How can he update his information?
It is the responsibility of the putative father to provide his new address if he moves to another location. If the putative father moves, he should mail a letter to the Putative Father Registry that shows his complete name, old address information, and the new address information. Ohio Department of Job and Family Services will then delete the old address and add the new address information to the Registry.
How often should a man register with the Putative Father Registry?
A putative father may register his name more than once. If a man has multiple relationships with the same person or more than one woman, he must register no later than 30 days after a child's birth to be notified that the child, he may have fathered, is being adopted.
Other Questions:
For additional questions regarding the Putative Father Registry, please call the Putative Father Registry toll free number at 1-888-313-3100 or via e-mail at OhioPFR@jfs.ohio.gov |