Section 309.90  Putative Father Registry

a)         The Department shall maintain a Putative Father Registry for the purpose of determining the identity and location of a putative father of a child who is, or is expected to be, the subject of an adoption proceeding in order to provide notice of such proceeding to the putative father.

b)         The Department shall maintain the following information in the Putative Father Registry:

1)         With respect to the putative father, if known:

A)        Name of the putative father, including any other names by which the putative father may be known and that he may provide to the Registry;

B)        Address at which the putative father may be served with notice of petition under the Adoption Act, including any change of address;

C)        The Social Security Number of the putative father;

D)        The putative father's birth date; and

E)        If applicable, a certified copy of an order by a court of the State of Illinois or of another state or territory of the United States adjudicating the putative father to be the father of the child.

2)         With respect to the mother of the child, if known:

A)        Name of the mother, including any other names known to the putative father by which the mother may be known;

B)        The mother's last address;

C)        The mother's Social Security Number; and

D)        The mother's date of birth.

3)         If known to the putative father, the name, gender, place of birth, and date of birth or anticipated date of birth of the child.

4)         The date the Department received the putative father's registration.

c)         A putative father may register with the Putative Father Registry before the birth of the child but no later than 30 days after the birth of the child. All registrations shall be in writing and signed or submitted online through the official Putative Father Registry website by the putative father, and submitted to the Department at the following address:

Putative Father Registry

Department of Children and Family Services

160 North LaSalle − 6th Floor

Chicago, Illinois 60601

www.putativefather.org

info@putativefather.org

Further, putative fathers may call the Putative Father Registry for alternative contact information at:  866/737-3237.

d)         An interested party, including persons intending to adopt a child, a child welfare agency with whom the mother has placed or has given written notice of her intention to place a child for adoption, the mother of the child, or an attorney representing an interested party may request that the Department search the Putative Father Registry to determine whether a putative father is registered in relation to a child who is or may be the subject of an adoption petition.

e)         Upon receipt of a search request pursuant to subsection (d) above, the registrar shall issue a certified response from the Putative Father Registry.

f)         Except as provided in subsection (d) above, information contained in the Putative Father Registry is confidential and shall not be published or open to public inspection.

g)         A person who knowingly or intentionally registers false information under this Section commits a Class B misdemeanor.  A person who knowingly or intentionally releases confidential information in violation of this Section commits a Class B misdemeanor. (See 750 ILCS 50/12.1.)

h)         The Putative Father Registry shall not be used to notify a putative father who is the father of a child as a result of criminal sexual abuse or assault as defined under Article 12 of the Criminal Code of 1961.

i)          A $40 fee will be charged to all parties receiving a certified response pursuant to subsection (e), except for:

1)         Certified responses pertaining to Department of Children and Family Services cases; and

2)         Certified responses as approved by a Deputy Director or legal counsel of the Department of Children and Family Services.

(Source:  Amended at 31 Ill. Reg. 8466, effective June 8, 2007)