Is it possible to leave the mother off of a birth certificate?

The only circumstance I can think of in which the mother might be left off is if the baby is abandoned and no-one knows who the mother is. Otherwise no, it’s not legally possible to leave her off.

Until men start having babies, the mothers name will always be required.

GQ. I think she should have that possibility of anonymity, yes.

I think the biological mother should absolutely have the option to be left off the birth certificate. Then again, I also think that a child should be able to have any number of legal guardians as long as those adults can prove that they will/do have an important role in the child’s upbringing. I think it is ridiculous that men can so easily be let off the hook or denied parental rights and women always has them, regardless of if she is fit or wants to be a parent.

I feel the child has the right to know his or her genetic heritage.

Being on the birth certificate is part of the responsibility of bringing a new life into the world.

When my sister gave up her baby at birth, there was no mother listed. The adoption agency had the information in the file, but the birth certificate said “Mother Doe”.

Not necessary. I personally have whitnesed a birth where the mother standed after the birth and walked away. Covered with some blood but she walked away like nothing happened.

Since birth certificates aren’t written on the spot just as she delivers she can “wander” away ^^

Sad… very sad when they do it but oh well. Anything can happen.

It’s not clear to me why a mother would want to remain anonymous, unless she were giving the baby up for adoption. I would think a mother would want a legal tie to the child. If something happened and the mother died or were killed, the way Social Security would grant the child benefits would be through the birth certificate.

@jca Same reason men want to remain anonymous – they don’t want the responsibility of raising the child or possibility of child support and they don’t want anything resurfacing later, say if the child searches for biological parents. I would assume women could have almost all of the same reasons men do.

I think it would be a very generous thing to carry a child because the father wants it even though the mother doesn’t, but it seems very unfair that she is automatically on the hook for it when that is not always the case for men.

Men in England are, in theory at least, responsible for the children they sire, regardless of whether or not they’re on the birth certificate The Child Support Agency is tasked with tracking errant fathers down and getting them to pay a proportion of their income to the child’s guardian. It doesn’t always work like that, but that’s the theory.

I know that as far as responsibility goes, legal responsibility, if a mother gives the child up to a safe haven or to Social Services, she is charged with a neglect petition, and no such thing goes to the father. Unless she puts up the child for adoption, legally the mother is responsible. I found that out when I worked for Protective Services – my supervisor informed me that when they have “safe havens” for people to drop their babies off, they still get hit with a neglect petition.