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Quote of the Day

"The three-martini lunch is the epitome of American efficiency. Where else can you get an earful, a bellyful and a snootful at the same time?"

Gerald R. Ford








 




 
Featured Pregnancy Articles

Condom-History
One time kept in the backrest of pharmacies, condoms rich person go common and familiar spirit items in the eighties and nineties because of the ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME crisis. Apart from intimate abstinence, condoms represent the safest ...

Pregnancy Planner - A Quick Guide
Weeks 1 to 3 are the first weeks of pregnancy. Week 1 begins on the first day of your last menstrual period. You will have no pregnancy symptoms yet, it's too early right now. By week 4 nearly all of the organs and structure of the fetus have formed, you ...

Questions To Ask A Pediatrician (for new to be parents)?
Having a baby is already scary enough. There are so many new things that need to be taken care off and you are swamped with decisions to be made. One decision is to select the best pediatrician for your newborn. Take the time to research a couple of ...




The Top 5 Reasons Why Unwed-Parents Must Establish Paternity
 
"It takes a village to raise a child" is more than an African proverb, and when the village is small and one parent is missing the task becomes even more challenging. Fortunately, being proactive and understanding your rights as a parent will help alleviate any issues that might arise as you take on the role of single parent. Every child has the right to a parent-child relationship with both parents, and all three deserve an opportunity to develop, enjoy and grow in the relationship.

Establishing Paternity
1. Every child has the right to know both parents and have the father's name appear on the birth certificate. Voluntarily establishing paternity is not expensive and does not have to involve an attorney or attorney fees. Both parents may contact the State Department/Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Central Paternity Registry, or the Department of Community Health and request an Affidavit of Paternity. There may be a small fee for filing this document but it will ensure legal paternity is established.

Paternity Testing
2. Paternity testing is a series of genetic tests used to indicate the likelihood that a man is, or is not the biological father of a child. The most common method used today is DNA testing which are 99.9 percent accurate in determining that a man is not the father. The child can be tested at any age, and the DNA test is obtained by rubbing a cotton tipped swab on the inside of the check or DNA can be extracted from blood or other tissues. The court will determine who will pay for the paternity test. Laboratories performing paternity test should be accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB).

Financial Security
3. The law requires both parents support their children. This is true even if the pregnancy is unplanned. Children supported by one parent often do not have enough money for their needs. A child support order cannot be established if paternity is not proven.

Survivor & other Benefits
4. Medical and dental insurance may be available through the non-custodial parent's employer, union, or military service. Medical assistance programs may be available through the local and/or state family/child assistance agencies. If something should happen to either parent, the child could qualify for Social Security, pensions, inheritance rights, veterans' benefits and life insurance. Paternity must be established to receive these benefits.

Keep Track of Child Support Information
5. It is imperative that both parents, (the custodial and non-custodial) keep track of parent information, parenting time, (visitations), receipt of child support payments, court ordered or not, names of child support workers, attorney contacts, names of judges/referees, docket/court numbers etc. concerning the child support case. Remember to keep this information in a secure location and let someone you trust know where this information can be found in the event of an emergency.



About the Author
Detra D. Davis is a technical writer with over 20 years of experience. Author of A Matter of Record: Keeping Track of Your Child Support, she is a former Public Health Educator and has taught a number of workshops promoting the importance of establishing paternity and paying child support. Detra may be reached at www.supportingourchildren.com or by mail at J. Davis & Associates Publishing, P. O. Box 4935, Cary, North Carolina 27519-4935.



Pregnancy News

Teen birth rate up in Wyoming - Billings Gazette
CHEYENNE - Wyoming's teen birth rate increased in 2006 after declining the previous 14 years, according to a new federal study. The state's rate of teen births in 2006 also exceeded the national average, according to new state statistics released by ...

Sacramento Kings - Chicago Tribune
Hall of Fame coach and Bethlehem native Pete Carril just can't stop teaching. The 78-year-old former Princeton coach rejoined the Sacramento Kings on Thursday as a consultant. Carril spent 10 seasons as an assistant coach with the Kings after ...

Army apologizes for error in letters - Los Angeles Times
Reporting from Washington -- The Army issued a formal apology to the families of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan after it sent them letters with the salutation "Dear John Doe." In December, the Army sent out 7,000 letters to the families of ...

County needs Teen Pregnancy Initiative - Daily Journal
Picture a pregnant teenage girl. What do you see? What values have you brought to the table as you envision her appearance, her present circumstances, her future and that of her baby? I see two children at risk for poverty, inadequate education and ...

Pregnancy possible after fibroid treatment - Kerala Next
NEW YORK – For young women with fibroids -- benign tumors inside the uterus that can lead to pain, abnormal bleeding and other symptoms -- a treatment called uterine artery embolization (UAE) does not harm fertility, according to results of a study ...