punitive father registry

We are working on our second adoption through OH. The SW told us she usually gets the results at about 2 months. They have to wait the 30 days, then submit a form to check for the name and wait for that to come back. It is nerve wracking, but, honestly, not many people know about it, so I don't think fathers are often found that way...

Um, I just want to point out that it is not the punitive fathers registry, it is the putative fathers registry. Although after watching Dr. Phil today, I guess "punitive" might be a better word for it...

Oops...How can I edit that ?

I was so disgusted with Dr. Phil. The entire audience laughed at the thought that a man should get with the PUTATIVE father registry every time he has sexual relations with a woman to state he is interested if a child is conceived. WHY IS THAT FUNNY? Why is it so ridiculous that a young man should be RESPONSIBLE for a life he helps create?????? GADS, I will never watch another Dr. Phil show again. This registry was not created to punish bio fathers. It was created to protect the children (and the taxpayers) from men who continually make babies and walk away, not wanting to be financially responsible. And to protect adoptive families from lawsuits down the road. If a man has sex with a woman, he should be RESPONSIBLE for that life when it is created. If he WANTS to be responsible, all he has to do is look up "birth father rights" on the internet and he'd find what he needs regarding the putative father registry. Sorry to vent. I just get so sick of it all!!! Hoping all those in the audience that laughed at the thought of a man acting responsibly are OK with all the taxpayer dollars we spend to care for children whose biological parents don't have the means to care for them!!!!!!!!!

Josie, Honestly - I think that the real concern is not that men should register with the PFR - but the fact that very few, if any, men know 1) what it is 2) that it exists 3) how it works.I think a little bit of education goes a long way. Why not teach about it in Sex Ed? Why not have billboards up? Why not put advertisments on the back of condom's or on the front of condom machines? I don't think anyone would argue that the PFR is a bad thing - provided everyone (EVERYONE) knew what it was, how to use it and that it even existed.

We just got the call from the agency today that the registry has been checked and bdad TPR'ed! My son will be 8 weeks on Monday, so that is how long it took us.

Brandy, I don't entirely disagree with you. Yet why is it that when a woman becomes pregnant with an untimely pregnancy, she is the one that has to do the legwork in finding out how to contact an adoption agency (if that is her choice, obviously), meet with the social workers, educate herself on open vs. closed adoptions, etc. Why are men not held to the same standards of educating themselves? I don't think they give "adoption agency" classes in sex ed, do they? Women are almost always left holding the bag alone. If a man is truly involved, he will hold up the women with respect and do what is necessary to provide for her and his child. In the alternative, if he wants to parent, it's still up to him to do some legwork and find out what he needs to do to act responsibly. JMHO, obviously.

Let me play devils advocate for a minute…and I’m not talking about random layabouts who never supported the pregnancy they knew about…they belong in a class of their own. Here are the men I am talking about with regards to PFR’s and education:The man who had been told his ex-girlfriend aborted. The man who had a one night stand. The man who walked away before he knew she was pregnant and she never reached out. The man who has lost his rights because a woman was encouraged, by an unethical agency, to move out of state/town and to claim ‘unknown’.For every bad apple out there – there is a good one who just has no idea. I think far reaching educational resources regarding the PFR and how men can protect their rights to their unborn child in the event that they may not know about it, can go a long way.I think we have to, as a community, set aside the ‘bad apples’ and think of the good guys who want nothing more than to do what is best – they want to have the same options a woman has when placing a child for adoption…but because they don’t know of the PFR and (insert any other reason here) they are never even told they have a child. We can’t just assume they’re all deadbeats not wanting to ‘own up’ – and as much responsibility as a woman has to research her options – she also has an obligation to disclose to the father that she’s pregnant…else, how does he know?We either have to REQUIRE every man who could potential be the father to terminate his parental rights – or an adoption can’t happen.ORWe REQUIRE extensive education on how men can protect their rights using the PFR. Right now, there is zero education – zero public service information. I have real problems with the whole “ignorance of the law” issue – especially in light of the fact that we do so little to make the law known. I don’t know – I’m not even sure I am expressing how I feel correctly. What it boils down to, for me, is the lack of education on the laws existence and purpose. What can we do, as a community, to make sure every sexual active male who lives in a PFR state knows about the putative father registry? I think that is the question we should be asking…

There are two cases in the Ohio Supreme Court regarding Putative fathers rights. If you boil these cases down the question becomes: Is there now a race between the filing of an adoption petition in Probate Court and a Parentage Action that is filed in Juvenile Court? Is this really as simple as ғThe Great Raceԅadoptive parents vs putative fathers? Who ever files first gets the baby? Of course not, but putative (alleged) fathers want you to think so. The answer to the question is very simpleŅ.and we need the Supreme Court to make the right decisionŅthe Putative Father Registry prevents the Race to the CourthouseӔ. Heres why: 1. The moment a man has sex with a woman that isnҒt is wife he can mail a postcard to log himself on the Putative Father Registry. 2. A man can register up to 30 days after the birth of his baby.or suspected baby. 3. There is no fee to register. So, based on my knowledge of biology, the putative father has 10 months to register and protect his rights. I am not aware of any race on the planet that takes 10 months to run. There is no race. The current adoption laws have some very basic principles: 1. Unmarried men who have sex are on notice that their consent to an adoption may not be necessary. 2. The putative father is very clearly defined. (See O.R.C. 3107.01 (H)) If you havenŒt been judicially declared the father at the time of the filing of adoption. You are a putative father. 3. Putative fathers must protect their own rights by registering. They have, at a minimum, 10 months to do so, probably longer. Most adoptions are not newborn adoptions. 4. The Ultimate and Guiding principle of the current adoption law: fathers must support the mother and the baby. The relationship and support is what matters. The current laws are very clear on this subject. This isnt about who filed first or what got filed when. This is about, did the father support the mother of his child and his child. The relationship is what matters. The U.S. Supreme Court has already said that ғbiology is not enough. This is about a man attempting to communicate, support and at least try to develop a relationship with the child and mother. The bottom line is this, the laws are correct. Men who try to support momma and baby deserve to be involved in babyԒs life. Men who dont support momma and baby donҒt deserve to be involved in babys life. This is about being a man, handling your business and doing the right thing. The Supreme Court needs to do the right thing and enforce the current laws.