Chapter 6: Establishing Paternity For Child Protective Proceedings

6.1Identifying a Child’s Father

Efforts to include all parents involved in a child’s life should begin at the very first hearing in child protective proceedings. National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, Enhanced Resource Guidelines: Improving Court Practice in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases, p 82. Early identification, location, and engagement of the father are critical—”there is no paternal side of the family until a determination is made about who the father actually is.” Id. “Timely resolution of paternity issues is both in the best interests of the child and essential to avoiding delays at subsequent points in the court process. The court must ensure that the efforts of the child welfare agency are thorough and diligent in locating and involving all legal and putative parents.” Id. See also National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, Adoption and Permanency Guidelines: Improving Court Practice in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases, p 10; Michigan Absent Parent Protocol: Identifying, Locating, and Notifying Absent Parents in Child Protective Proceedings, p 3. The Absent Parent Protocol is a useful tool developed by the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) to guide a court through the procedures of finding and notifying absent/noncustodial parents during a child protective proceeding.¹