| Synopsis: |
The current law automatically assumes married couples will be jointly registered on their child's birth certificate whereas unmarried parents both have to agree before a father's name can appear on the birth certificate. Sole registrations in England and Wales account for around 7 per cent of birth registrations each year. They are often linked to social exclusion as mothers who register solely are likely to be younger, poorer, and with lower levels of educational attainment than those who jointly register.Research indicates that fathers who officially acknowledge the birth of their child from the outset are more likely to stay in contact with that child if their relationship with the child's mother breaks down. Joint birth registration measures, which require fathers to acknowledge paternity at birth, could also underpin current cross-government work to improve parenting.This Green Paper, "Joint Birth Registration: Promoting Parental Responsibility (Cm. 7160)", sets out the Government's proposals to establish a new legislative requirement for joint registration of births, together with safeguards designed to protect the welfare of children and vulnerable mothers.The proposed changes seek to promote a culture in which the welfare of children is paramount and which places more equal weight on the relationship of both parents with their children. Together with the reforms of the child maintenance system set out in the Government's White Paper ("A New System of Child Maintenance (Cm. 6979)" (ISBN 0101697929), these proposals re-affirm the rights and responsibilities of parenthood for mothers and fathers, to ensure the best possible outcomes for children. |