Minas Gerais Public Defender opens registration for paternity program

The Public Defender's Office of Minas Gerais (DPMG) has opened registrations for the 14th edition of the ‘Direito a Ter Pai’ (Right to Have a Father) program. Running from September 14 to October 2, the initiative aims to facilitate the legal recognition of paternity and maternity.

The program will hold service sessions between October 19 and 23 across 29 cities in Minas Gerais, including João Monlevade. Services offered free of charge include spontaneous recognition of filiation, paternity investigations, and DNA testing. The initiative also provides extrajudicial conciliation for matters such as child support, custody regulation, and visitation rights.

According to data from the National Association of Natural Persons Registrars (Arpen-Brasil), 12,438 children in Minas Gerais were registered without a father's name in 2023, representing approximately 5.32% of births in the state. The program, established in 2011, seeks to ensure equal rights for all children as protected by the Federal Constitution and the Statute of the Child and Adolescent.