Dept. of Human Services continues outreach to Latinos

SALT LAKE CITY — Manuel Romero, director of community relations for the State Dept. of Human Services (DHS), and Catherine Taylor, of the agency’s office of recovery services, are committed to the department’s outreach to the Hispanic and Latino populations. Under DHS Program Manager Lisa Michelle Church, Romero is assisting Taylor in reaching out to mothers and fathers of babies and young children.Taylor is especially concerned that members of those communities know their rights as well as their responsibilities as they relate to the paternity of children.

"First and foremost, we consider the child’s right to a family," Taylor said in an interview with the Intermountain Catholic. "All fathers, including Hispanic and Latino fathers, are responsible for the welfare of their children."

Taylor said documenting the paternity of children has led the DHS to develop outreach processes in local hospitals.

"At the birth of a child, whether the parents are married or not, our goal is to have the parents declare the paternity of the child," she said. "We have trained the birth clerks in filling out the forms, and although families get together and break up, declaring who the child’s father is isn’t difficult. It’s a simple, straightforward process."

While the DHS wants to document who the father of the child is, they are not interested or in the business of tracking down people whose immigration documentation isn’t up-to-date, said Romero. In addition to documenting the paternity of a baby, Taylor said the DHS also wants mothers to know about the benefits of breast-feeding, and other important issues facing mothers with new babies.

"Our services are user friendly," Taylor said. "One of our goals is to provide both parents with the right information and keep them both motivated to give their baby the best care. We provide pamphlets in Spanish and English.

There are three ways a man can declare his paternity of a child, Taylor said. "The first is through marriage with the mother. The second is by administrative order, and the third is when they are ordered to supply DNA to the court and their paternity is judicially declared."

Taylor said there have been men who have volunteered to become the legal father of a child, although they are not the child’s natural father. "In such cases, we look at the parenting a child is receiving, and how responsible a man is willing to be for this child. Some men become like foster parents to children, and their parenting skills are good."

When a child’s paternity is determined, whether through marriage, or an administrative order with DNA testing, the father of the child will be expected to pay child support, and the DHS can assist with the ease of a child support order from the time the child is born until he or she turns 18 years and four months, Taylor said.

"We encourage fathers and mothers to come to us to help them establish paternity," Taylor said. "It was easier for men to avoid issues of paternity prior to the use of DNA – now, a child’s paternity can be established even without a jury trial. The cost of DNA testing is low, which makes establishing paternity easy and straightforward, and it keeps children from falling through the cracks. They get the support they need."

Romero said hospitals are tracking their successes having children’s paternity declared, and so far, the numbers look good.

"Of course, it is always easier when a man simply declares that he is the father of the child and the issue doesn’t have to go through the courts," he said. "But even court-ordered declarations of paternity allow mothers and children to legally get the support they deserve."

Establishing the paternity of a child is crucial if either the mother, the father, or the child must apply for public assistance, Taylor said. "It’s also important when matters of inheritance come up."

Last year alone, Utah had about 8,500 children for whom paternity had to be established. If a father denies his paternity of a child or refuses to provide for the child’s support, it then becomes the responsibility of the DHS Office of Recovery Services to open a case, establish paternity, and intercede on behalf of the child. In addition to child support, parents are expected to provide health insurance for the child.

"If a father is working, and health insurance is offered to him by his employer, we will insist the child be enrolled as well," Taylor said. "Usually, once paternity is established, using a judicial order, we can recover some child support and insurance from a working father within a couple of weeks. We don’t deal with visitation rights. We just deal with child support and insurance.

"This is no small matter," Taylor said, "it’s about people’s lives."