Brazil's 'Meu Pai Tem Nome' Campaign Offers Free DNA Tests and Paternity Recognition in Atibaia and Pernambuco

The public defender offices of Brazil are conducting the nationwide "Meu Pai Tem Nome" campaign to facilitate the legal recognition of paternity. In Atibaia, São Paulo, the municipal government and the State Public Defender's Office will hold a free service day on 1 August 2026, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Fundo Social de Solidariedade. Participants must register online by 30 July. Defenders will mediate agreements, draft recognition terms, and provide DNA testing at no cost, with the possibility of establishing child‑support and custody arrangements.

In Pernambuco, the campaign runs throughout July, with 50 free DNA tests available at the Defensoria Pública headquarters in Recife and additional slots in municipalities such as Santa Cruz do Capibaribe, Brejo da Madre de Deus, Toritama, Limoeiro, Lajedo, Goiana, Palmares, Floresta and Belém do São Francisco. Registrations stay open until 20 July, and sample collection is scheduled for 31 July. The initiative also offers mediation sessions and legal assistance for socio‑affective and multiparental recognitions. Both efforts aim to regularize civil registration and ensure families’ right to identity.