Establishing Paternity

As a soon-to-be parent, you know how important it is to give your child the best possible start. If you are not married, establishing paternity adds the father’s name on your baby’s birth certificate, making him the legal father and providing a range of benefits — financial, social and emotional.

Why Establishing Paternity is so Important

Studies show that men who establish paternity at the hospital are more likely to have a relationship with their child. Your child needs love and support from both of you!

Paternity helps children:

• Have a relationship with both parents and their extended families
• Gain the security of knowing that their father cares and is there for them
• Achieve better outcomes
• Decrease the likelihood of high-risk behavior
• Have access to health insurance and/or benefits such as Social Security or inheritance

Paternity helps mothers:

• Share the responsibility and rewards of parenthood
• Share the cost of raising their child

Paternity helps fathers:

• Gain legal rights to their child
• Show they are committed to their child
• Establish an emotional bond with their child and participate in the child's life   

How the Process Works

If you are both sure of the identity of the child's biological father AND you do not want a DNA test, you can complete an Acknowledgment of Paternity form right at the Beaufort Memorial Collins Birthing Center. It is completely voluntary and the easiest way to establish paternity. Plus, it's free while you're with us!

To complete the process, BOTH PARENTS must:

• Be present at the hospital
• Have a valid, nonexpired, government-issued picture ID card such as a driver's license, state identification card or passport* If you do not have a driver's license, a state identification card is available at your local Department of Motor Vehicles office. If your country of origin is not the United States and you do not have a valid government-issued picture ID, you can apply in person for a consular identification card from your country's consulate.
• Have their Social Security number (if they are United States citizens)

If the father cannot be present or either of you does not have your ID and Social Security number (if you are a U.S. citizen), then the hospital cannot add the father’s name to the birth certificate.

If either of you is not 100% sure of paternity, do not complete the Paternity Acknowledgment. You can get a low-cost DNA test through the Department of Social Services after your child is born. For more information about the test, call the South Carolina Parenting Opportunity Program at 866-914-8786 or visit their website. If you have any questions even before your baby is born, call the Birth Certificate Clerk at 843-522-5744. You may also call the South Carolina Parenting Opportunity Program toll-free at 866-914-8786.

*For parents who are not U.S. citizens and would like to complete an Acknowledgement of Paternity, original passports may be used if they are valid and include a photo.