Hospitals

Thank you for visiting the Hospital portion of this website. The information found in this section relates to the responsibilities to be performed by hospital staff and management as required by the Code of Virginia. Paternity establishment is voluntary for parents in hospitals; however, all birthing facilities are required to offer each unmarried parent the opportunity to learn about this program and it’s benefits, rights and responsibilities through the in-hospital acknowledgement process. Please review the following information on this page as well as in the Training section of this site for additional information. You may also feel free to contact one of our knowledgeable representatives at 866-398-4841 for assistance.

In 1994 Federal legislation required hospitals to implement a “Voluntary Paternity Program”
In 1996, the Personal Responsibility Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) determined there should be an in-hospital paternity establishment program to assist unmarried parents with a voluntary process at the time of birth and set forth guidelines for hospitals to follow
Each state followed with regulations to ensure uniform processes were set in place to assist these parents
In Virginia, the Department of Social Services; Division of Child Support Enforcement oversees this program for the Commonwealth
Center for the Support of Families is the contractor selected to manage the VPEP program which continues today under the supervison of DSS/DCSE

Research confirms that when fathers become more involved in parenting - and in working with mothers as co-parents and partners - you get healthier families and healthier children.
The first five years are a critical time to develop healthy patterns and family interactions
A growing body of research has concluded that fathers are important to their child's development

Code of the Commonwealth

§ 63.2-1914

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Hospitals

Hospitals Must Participate

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Code of the Commonwealth

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