Adoption without putative fathers knowledge.?

Question

What if a mother hides her pregnancy. One year later brings photos and says this is your baby, i gave it up for adoption. Is there any way to get custody of the child even after it is a year to late to sign the putative father registry? Do putative fathers have any rights at all?

Answer 1

The father could put up one h**l of a fight about it. If he never gave up his rights to the child then the adoption was illegal. Proving that might be a bit difficult but worth it if the father wants the child.

Answer 2

Sure, it can be done.  Utah is one of the worst states for circumventing fathers' rights.  Because of this there are men fighting for custody of children who were unethically adopted.  Putative fathers' registries are usually not well publicized.  They are also a convenient law that allows mothers to deny a father his natural rights as the father.  He doesn't have to sign a relinquishment document in order for her to place HIS child for adoption.  No matter what someone thinks of her ex, that child is still the father's flesh and blood and they have a right to know one another. Ultimately, this is unfair not only to the father, but to the child as well, who has a right to know his/her natural father.

It is also the case that women can just go to another state and have the child and place the child for adoption.  Even if the father signed the putative father registry in the state where he and the mother live, if he didn't sign it in the state where the child was born, his rights have been lost.  How on earth is he to know she would do this so he could sign registries in other states?  This is what has happened in some cases that are now in court.

Here are just a few Websites / news articles discussing father's who have been circumvented and are fighting to get their children back.

http://www.myspace.com/babyselling

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/20...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/19/nation...

http://www.canadiancrc.com/articles/Chic...

Answer 3

I hate to tell you this, but if you did not sign up on any putative father's registry, you no longer have any rights to your child.  I'm sorry.  The sad fact is that the adoption industry fights to keep these registries hush hush....hardly anyone knows they exist.  And this is so the agencies and lawyers can sidestep the father's true rights to their child.  Even if you knew sooner and fought the adoption, they would have shipped the pregnant mother to another state where your name was not on a registry and finish the adoption there.  

I truly am sorry for your loss.  Your child's mother was a selfish w***e to deny you the right to raise your child.

to JM above me....How can a parent go on with their life knowing their child is out there?  Have you ever relinquished?  OHHHHHHH, you're an industry worker!  That explains everything!!!!!    Yeah, sure, natural parents can go on with their lives like our children never existed.....get real.

Answer 4

It doesn't matter.  Its too late.  I'm so sorry to be the one to tell you this.  The agency probably told her not to tell you.  You can try but it won't get you anywhere.  The laws now state that once you have s*x with a woman you are on notice to place yourself on the putative father registry in Idaho.

Answer 5

These Fathers that only take a couple of years to start wanting to be someones Daddy........Yeah...three years After the Child has been adopted by a LOVING Couple who cherish their little gift ....Daddy wants to come onto the scene just to touch base with his genes. The adoptive parents don't ask for this trouble. The child doesn't need any of this . And why do you think International adoptions are so popular

Answer 6

Every state is different, you might.

However, I URGE you, BEG you, PLEAD with you to consider what is best for this child.

This child is in a loving home with people who wanted this child more than life.  This child has been cared for and bonded with people at a crucial point in the child's development.  Do you really want to be so selfish as to tear that child away from the only home and the only parents they know simply because you may be a sperm donor?

Being a father means thinking about what is really best for the child.  Seriously....you go to court and you win...you take this child who doesn't even know you away from his/her parents to a strange home and crib, and when the baby cries a stranger comes to comfort them......is that fair to your baby?

The mother was hands down wrong....should your baby suffer.  Be a man, be sure the child is in a good home, but then go on with you life.  Disrupting this innocent baby and the people that love him or her would be selfish and cruel.

Answer 7

Yes If the fater can prove tht the child is his he can fight it but he may also just get visatation with the child and ba part of the childs life but no gerenty that the fater will get any rights

Answer 8

Depends on the state you live in. In Texas, if you did not sign the putative father registry, then legally there is nothing you can do. She doesn't have to verbally tell you in the state of Texas. It's your responsibility to stay on top of who you had s*x with and who you might have gotten pregnant. in Texas, it's the father's responsibility to sign up for the putative father registry.

Every state is different in the USA. I can only tell you what Texas legally requires. However, you can hire a lawyer for anything these days and put up a fight no matter what the law says. That's why I encourage all first moms to have the father willingly terminate his rights even in the state of Texas.

ETA: http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/policy/...

Looks like that if the mom tried to locate you through the putative father registry, and you did not register, the adoption was legal under Idaho law. You should still contact a lawyer and see what your legal options are.

Answer 9

You'll have to hire a lawyer and bring a lawsuit and do it soon.

I have two male childhood friends who had this happen to them.  Both were able to have the adoption overturned and get their babies.  One baby was more than a year old.  They have both since graduated high school. However, this was MN.

Ultimately, these father registries will be done away with because they are unconstitutional.  However, it will take fathers suing to get that changed.  These registries were put in by big money in the adoption industry to facilitate adoptions by circumventing law with a loophole to deny both the father and the baby of their rights.  Nice, huh?