FREQUENTY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT PARANTAGE

Parents 

1. What is Parentage?

This legal parent/child relationship can be based on:

  1. The “statutory marital presumption” meaning that if a couple are married and living together both at the time of the child’s conception and birth, the law provides that the couple are the legal parents regardless of genetic relationship.
  2. A genetic relationship – if a DNA test proves the child shares DNA with an individual, that individual will be considered a legal parent.
  3. A court judgment applying any one of several legal parentage presumptions, including but not restricted to the marital presumption, genetic relationship, or an intended parentage relationship.

Agencies 

1. Are parents required to provide their Social Security Number on a Voluntary Declaration of Parentage?

Yes. The Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement specified the required and optional data elements for parentage establishment affidavits pursuant to Action Transmittal (AT) 18-03.  Providing a social security number is a required data element. Individuals who do not have social security numbers are required to state that fact under penalty of perjury.