Tag: child custody
How Federal Child Welfare Policies and Georgia’s Legitimation Law Impact Paternal Rights
Georgia’s diligent-search policy specifically includes noncustodial parents and both maternal and paternal relatives. It requires child welfare to implement these search efforts before initial foster care placement and documentation in Georgia SHINES.
Georgia should report how often fathers are identified and successfully contacted, how many need help resolving paternity or legitimation, whether they receive legal assistance, and how long those steps take. When a safe father is prepared to care for his child, the state should be able to explain how it assessed him, what assistance it provided, and why it reached its decision.
The Maze of Fatherhood: Why Georgia Must Reform Legitimation Now
In Georgia, a child born to unmarried parents is not automatically granted the legal right to both parents. While this may come as a surprise to many, to the thousands of fathers served by Fathers Incorporated, it’s a harsh and often heartbreaking reality.