In some cases, you do have the right to stop an adoption of your child in Illinois. You must first claim paternity of the child. This is often done when the mother voluntarily puts your name as the father on the birth certificate, but if that does not happen, it is up to you to claim your parental rights. The state has set up the Putative Father Registry, which according to Illinois.gov, is a database where you can make a claim of paternity and gain some rights.
By signing the Registry, you are saying you may be the father. It is not a final statement or proof that you are the father, though. After signing the Registry, you must then begin to establish paternity to gain full rights. Because the state requires notification of the father of a child before an adoption can be completed, getting your name in this database will allow you to be notified and enable you to take steps to claim your rights to the child if you choose to do so.
If you have signed the Registry and get notification that the child you claim paternity of is being put up for adoption, you must then establish paternity through legal means. This requires a simple test to prove you are a genetic match to the child. It is important to note that you must sign up within 30 days after the birth of the child in order to gain the right to be notified about an adoption. This information is only intended to educate and should not be interpreted as legal advice.
