The Ohio Putative Father Registry - The What?
"Q: I've seen stories about... kids whose parents later get them back. Could this happen if I choose to adopt?"A: The Ohio Putative Father Registry, which became effective for children born on or after January 1, 1997, is a way by which a man who feels he might have fathered a child can establish his right to be notified of adoption-related hearings. His registration with the Ohio Putative Father Registry entitles him to such notification whether or not the birthmother names him as the biological father. A man may register anytime prior to the birth of the child but must register no later than thirty days after the birth. When a birthmother decides to voluntarily relinquish her parental rights, the adoption agency and the court must consult this registry to see if any man has claimed he is the biological father. In situations where a court terminates the parents' rights on an involuntary basis, agencies may also check this registry. If a man does not register with the Ohio Putative Father Registry within the given time frames, and all other normal identification and notification procedures are completed by the court, his rights are permanently severed and he cannot come forward and successfully disrupt an adoptive placement." This was serious. The ODJFS and adoption agencies obviously relied on the registry heavily. So the contact and form information must be on the site too. But I couldn't find it. Apparently, the putative father registration form - ODHS 1694 - was not a "key document." Or maybe I didn't search well enough? Or should I contact Human Services? I clicked on the "e-mail us" link and sent ODJFS a message asking it to tell me where I could find the registration form and the informational materials. I didn't intend just to wait for ODJFS' reply. I searched the Internet again and found it. A hotline telephone number: 888-313-3100. Well, that wasn't too painful. I would call tomorrow from work. Meanwhile I researched the case law.
The landmark precedent for the statutes was Lehr v. Robertson (1983), 463 U.S. 248. In Lehr, the pregnant, unwed mother left the putative father and married another man who, two years later, adopted the child. The biological father had known about the pregnancy, but never got notice of the adoption. He also did not know about New York's putative father registry. The U.S. Supreme Court held that the biological father had not needed notice of the adoption because biology offered a father an exclusive opportunity to develop a relationship with his offspring, and that a registry allowed the biological father to grasp that opportunity. Lehr, at 262. Otherwise, the constitution did not require giving notice to a father who could have protected his own interest. Lehr, at 262.
The theory struck me as odd. Not wrong, just one-sided. Were children just opportunities for their fathers to grasp? Didn't a child have a right to his father's input if timely obtainable? In any case, what had befallen Jonathan Lehr would not befall me. I was ready to grasp my opportunity.
At work the next morning I realized I had not brought the phone number with me. I tried information again.
"What city please?"
"Columbus."
"What listing?"
"The Office of the Ohio Putative Father Registry."
"The what?"
"Putative father registry. P-U-T-A-T-I-V-E."
"Here's your number, sir." A machine voice: "...Area Code 6-1-4-4-6-6-9-2-7-4."
Son of a gun, it was listed. What magical buzzword had I not used last time that had worked this time? I dialed the number. A woman answered.
"Ohio Putative Father Registry."
"Yes, I need a registration form."
"Are you representing the mother or the father?"
"The father."
She offered to mail the form to me, but when I realized the office was downtown, as I was, I told her I would pick it up.
Arriving there, I found the facility was only five blocks from my apartment. I entered the building, marked by no sign, and approached the front desk, at which a guard was stationed.
"May I help you?" the guard asked.
"Yes, I'm looking for the putative father registry."
"The what?"
"Putative father registry."
"I think you have the wrong place, sir."
"Are you sure? I called their office and they gave me this address."
"What is it you're looking for again?"
"The putative father registry. P-U-T-A-T-I-V-E."
He called upstairs. "Yes, someone's here looking for the punitive father registry." A pause. "Okay, I'll tell him." The guard hung up. "Yes, sir, it's on the third floor. Now when you come out of the elevator..." He proceeded to give me directions that were impossible to follow without having the building's original floor plan.
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