POP Opportunity Program

Paternity Opportunity Program (POP) History

In January of 1995, the California Department of Social Services joined other states in a partnership with licensed hospitals and clinics to establish the Paternity Opportunity Program (POP). POP offers parents a voluntary in-hospital paternity acknowledgment program that assists with creating a legal link between unmarried fathers and their children. The program involves approximately 330 of California's licensed hospitals and clinics with birthing facilities. The program has since been expanded to prenatal clinics, county welfare offices, local vital records offices, and courts.

As a result of federal welfare reform legislation effective January 1, 1997, if the parents of a child are not legally married when the child is born, the father's name will NOT be added to the birth certificate unless they:

• Sign a Declaration of Paternity in the hospital, or
• Sign the form later or legally establish paternity through the courts and pay a fee to amend the birth certificate.

The Declaration of Paternity

The backbone of the POP program is the Declaration of Paternity. The Declaration of Paternity is a legal form that, once filed with the state, voluntarily establishes legal fatherhood. Unmarried parents complete and sign the Declaration of Paternity after the child is born. Copies of the declaration are sent to the California POP headquarters for filing, the local Department of Child Support Services POP Unit, and given to the parents. Once the Declaration is filed with the state, the form is the legal equivalent of a court order.

For additional information, please download the cover sheet and sample of the Declaration of Paternity form.

Where to Sign the Declaration of Paternity

Several hospitals in San Diego County participate in the POP program. After the baby is born, the birth clerk will ask the unmarried mother and father if they want to complete the Declaration of Paternity. The birth clerk can assist with completing the form, witness the parent’s signatures and forward a copy to the state POP headquarters. When parents complete the form in the hospital, the father’s name can be added to the child’s original birth certificate.

Military fathers-to-be on deployment can sign the Declaration of Paternity before the child is born.

Parents can also complete the Declaration of Paternity after they leave the hospital. Both the Department of Child Support Services and the County of San Diego, Office of Vital Records will assist parents with completing the form and witness the parents’ signatures. A copy of the form will be sent to the state POP headquarters. If parents want to add the dad’s name to the child's birth certificate, additional paperwork must be completed.

To complete a POP declaration at the Department of Child Support Services, contact the office for the walk-in hours. Both parents must be present and bring government issued, photo identification, such as:

• ID card or Driver’s License (from California or another state)
• Passport (from the United States or another country)
• Military ID card
• Inmate ID card

Parents can also request the Paternity Declaration be mailed to them and sign the forms later in front of a notary. To have the Paternity Declaration mailed to you, please contact the office.

The Benefits of Paternity Establishment

The Declaration of Paternity legally establishes a parent-child relationship between the father and the child, without going to court. Unmarried parents who sign the Declaration of Paternity help their children gain the same rights and privileges of a child born within a marriage.

These rights include:

• Financial support
• Access to important family medical records
• Medical and life insurance coverage, if available
• Inheritance protection
• The emotional benefit of knowing who both parents are

For more information on how a declaration of Paternity can help you and your new baby, download this helpful fact sheet.

Canceling the POP Declaration

Either parent may cancel or rescind the Declaration of Paternity by completing a Rescission of Paternity form. This form must be filed with the California Department of Child Support Services within 60 days of the original date the paternity declaration was signed. The rescission form should be sent to:

You may obtain a copy of the rescission form by contacting the Department of Child Support Services or on the state DCSS web site.

For More Information

If you have questions about the POP Program, contact Lupe Giraldo, San Diego County POP Coordinator, at 619-578-6290.