Hospital's Role in Paternity Establishment
Paternity Establishment Percentage (PEP)
Hospital Paternity Establishment Performance Data
Hospital Paternity Establishment Guide

Hospital's Role in Paternity Establishment

Paternity means legal fatherhood. Paternity must be established if a child is born to an unmarried mother or a mother who has not been married within the past 10 months. Establishing paternity provides the child with a legal father.

State law (MCL 333.2153) requires hospitals to participate in the completion of the Affidavit of Parentage (AOP)form: http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-2939-18708--,00.html.
This form is voluntarily signed by both parents and must be notarized. The completed form is a legal acknowledgment of paternity and must be sent to the Department of Community Health.

It is important that parents receive information on the voluntary acknowledgment of paternity at the time of birth. When both parents are available at the hospital, they are more likely to sign an AOP.

Parents can complete the AOP later themselves, but there is a fee for amending the birth certificate later. When the AOP is completed at the hospital at the time of birth, there is no fee.

Hospitals can provide a mother with the following toll free numbers 1-866-661-0005 or 1-866-540-0008 if they need assistance in establishing paternity.

Hospital staff with questions on paternity establishment should contact Kathy Scott at (517) 373-0275 or ScottK3@michigan.gov.

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Paternity Establishment Percentage (PEP)

Having a child's father in his/her life is very important for a child's overall well-being and reason to place a very high priority on establishing paternity. In recognition of this the federal government measures the Paternity Establishment Percentage (PEP) of each state and provides financial incentives for high performance and penalties for low performance. Processes that determine Michigan's PEP and how the State will be either financially rewarded or penalized by the federal government.

The federal standard for the statewide PEP is 90 percent. Financial penalties are imposed if the State falls below 80 percent or if states with percentages between 80 and 90 percent do not increase performance by two percent per year. States with a PEP between 80 and 100 percent are eligible to earn incentives as long as those between 80 and 90 percent increase two percent per year.

In fiscal year 2007 Michigan's PEP is 95.9 percent.

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Hospital Paternity Establishment Performance Data

Michigan tracks the paternity establishment performance of every birthing hospital in the State.

The Historical Birthing Data by Calendar Year document provides individual hospital paternity establishment performance data.

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Hospital Paternity Establishment Guide

To help hospitals provide the paternity establishment assistance they are required to give to some mothers and fathers, a Hospital Paternity Establishment Guide has been developed. This guide includes an overview of what is required, how that can be done, and available resources to assist.

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