Paternity And Public Assistance Benefits

[SoniaF]

Hi. my daughter is pregnant. She decided she didn't want the father involved. So she gets help form the government now. The baby daddy found out and he has been supportive and is there for her and the baby. He insist on registering the baby. We're not sure what will happen to him though. Are they going to make him pay all the Medicare bills for the baby? Even though she is not with him or married to him.

[aardvarc]

Your daughter ultimately isn't the one who gets to decide if the "baby daddy" gets to be involved in the child's life. That's why we have courts, and if he wants to be part of the child's life and is willing to get the legal ball rolling, most courts are going to be supportive of that effort. Contrary to popular belief, men are not just walking sperm banks. When you involve another human being in the creation of a child, that other parent has a right to be part of the child's life, and the child has a right to the support, love, and care of BOTH parents (that's why nature made it so that it takes TWO to make a baby).

And when you say she gets help from "the government" now - what that means is that she's using OUR tax dollars to support the child - so any time government benefits are sought, "the system" tries to identify the father via the paternity process so that HE can help foot the bill, instead of tax payers who didn't get to enjoy (or not) being part of the baby-making process.

[Baystategirl]

Hi. my daughter is pregnant. She decided she didn't want the father involved. So she gets help form the government now. The baby daddy found out and he has been supportive and is there for her and the baby. He insist on registering the baby. We're not sure what will happen to him though. Are they going to make him pay all the Medicare bills for the baby? Even though she is not with him or married to him.

A child has a right to be financially supported by both parents...And BOTH parents are LEGALLY obligated to support their children. Not the tax payer. That your daughter made the unilateral decision to not file for child support and paternity is not in the best interest of her child. Depending on your state, which you chose to not identify, and depending on the type of state assistance she received the father, upon adjudication, will be ordered to pay support...that support may be garnished to reimburse the tax payers of your state.