confidentially with an adoption agency regarding your options. There is a state-wide Adoption Registry that collects and discloses, when appropriate, information regarding biological parents and siblings of the adoptee.
Birth Control and Abortion
Birth control and abortion information can be obtained from Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (with offices throughout the state), your family doctor, or medical clinics. It is important to protect yourself by obtaining information and by being responsible about your sexual activities. Under current law you can obtain birth control information and devices without your parents’ consent, even if you are less than 17 years old. Phone numbers for family planning offices can be found in the telephone book, or call 1-800-359-3359.
Parents, But Not Married . . .
Whether married or not, both parents have a legal duty to support their child. By law, however, the mother is the sole legal guardian of a child born to unmarried parents. This means that as long as the parents get along and agree on how to raise the child, the father will have whatever involvement with the child the parties agree to. If they separate or do not agree, then the mother will have custody of the child until and unless the father establishes that he is the father of the child and the court makes an order for custody and visitation. Being named as the father on the child’s birth certificate, or executing an affidavit of paternity when the child is born, provides some indication of paternity, but it is not conclusive. To conclusively establish legal paternity, the father can adopt the child, or the family court can declare, in a paternity action, that the man is the father of the child.
A parent, who wants to have “custody,” or prove that someone is the father of a child, can bring a legal complaint to establish paternity or custody. The court can order a DNA test if there is a doubt about who the father is. Once paternity is determined, the court will order child support to be paid, establish custody, and set up a visitation schedule for the non- custodial parent.
If unwed parents are not living together and welfare benefits are being paid to the parent who has custody of the child, Prevention, Assistance, Transition, and Health Access (PATH) can sue the non-custodial parent who is not paying support to the welfare recipient. This suit usually demands
On Your Own, 2008 Edition 33
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