Over 15 years ago, Ohio enacted administrative rules which shifted the burden from attorney and adoption agencies to locate the father of a child and secure his consent, to requiring any man who believes he has fathered a child to register with the Putative Father Registry if he wishes to be given notice of a petition to adopt a minor he claims as his child. Failure to timely register (now within 15 days of the birth) terminates father’s right (with narrow fraud exceptions).

Please remember that adoptive placement of your baby is not the end of the road- receipt by the agency of a “no man is registered” certification is when you can finally celebrate the adoptive placement of your baby.