Parenting for Unmarried Couples FAQ

Questions:

• What steps must unmarried parents take to ensure that they are both considered the legal parents of their child?
• Does a child born to unmarried parents qualify for government benefits?
• When an unmarried couple has a child, whose last name does the child take?
• Can an unmarried couple adopt a child together?
• If a parent partners with someone who isn't the child's other parent, can the new partner adopt the child?
• Can both unmarried parents claim their child on their separate tax returns?
• Can a person who isn't a parent, but who plays a live-in parental role, take care of tasks like signing school permission slips or making medical decisions for a child?
• When unmarried parents separate, how does the breakup affect parenting rights and responsibilities?

Answer:

Does a child born to unmarried parents qualify for government benefits?

Every child is eligible for government benefits related to the child's biological or legal parents, including Social Security survivorship benefits, government pension benefits, and the like. The key is to ensure birth certificate and paternity issues are resolved as soon as, or shortly after, the child is born.

Once that's done, you can be assured that, if tragedy strikes you or your partner, your child will be covered. If you neglect to establish yourself as a legal parent -- for example, by failing to put your name on the birth certificate -- and your child seeks government benefits after your death, the agency may deny his or her request because there isn't any proof that you were the parent.