Hospital Paternity Program

DCSS-POL-03-1 v.1

The purpose of this policy is to provide staff and members of the working knowledge of Hospital Paternity Program (HPP) and the Voluntary Paternity Program. HPP is responsible for overseeing the administration of the Voluntary Paternity Program, which is the administrative process offered to unwed parents who agree to voluntarily establish paternity for a child. The Voluntary Paternity Program is administered statewide at all birthing facilities and is available in all DCSS offices. The program is available to any child born in or outside of Arizona who is younger than 18 years of age.

This policy applies to all Arizona IV-D program staff performing Title IV-D services.

HPP shall establish administrative paternity orders through the voluntary acknowledgment process.

Both parents must voluntarily acknowledge paternity.
The 60-day timeline for the rescission of paternity is expired.
The mother is not legally married to anyone at the time of conception or birth of the child.
If the mother is married at the time to someone else, her husband is considered the legally presumed father (LPF), and must sign a Waiver of Paternity to file with the Acknowledgment of Paternity (AOP) that severs his rights to the child.

If all criteria are not met, the administrative voluntary paternity process cannot proceed.

This policy is supported by staff procedures, which identify how action related to this policy will be conducted, including responsibilities, time frames, and required actions.

Federal Authority
42 U.S.C. § 668	Encouragement of States to adopt civil procedure for establishing paternity in contested cases
U.S.C. Public Law 104-193 (PRWORA)	The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA)
45 C.F.R. § 302.31	Establishment of Paternity and securing support
45 C.F.R. § 302.70(a)(5)(iii)	Required State Laws for voluntary acknowledgment of paternity
45 C.F.R. § 303.5	Establishment of Paternity

State Authority
A.R.S. § 25-812	Voluntary acknowledgment; action to overcome paternity
A.R.S. § 25-814	Presumption of paternity
A.R.S. § 25-815	Paternity; full faith and credit
A.R.S. § 25-816	Title IV-D child support; paternity establishment; genetic testing
A.R.S. § 25-817	Temporary orders; presumption of paternity
A.R.S. § 25-818	Paternity case registry; acknowledgments and paternity and maternity orders; recording requirements
A.R.S. § 36–323(B)(2)	Amending registered certificates; corrections
A.R.S. § 36-334	Determining maternity and paternity for birth certificates
A.R.S. § 36-337	Amending birth certificates
A.R.S. § 25-812	Voluntary acknowledgment; action to overcome paternity