Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP)

Definitions

Gestational Surrogacy Agreement

Gestational surrogacy is the process through which a woman carries and gives birth to a child that was conceived through in vitro fertilization, with the intent to place said child in the care of another parent, referred to as the intended parent. In order to have a valid gestational surrogacy agreement, the intended parent must have made a geneti

DNA (Genetic) Testing

DNA (genetic) testing can determine if there a parent-child relationship exists between an adult and a child. In a paternity (parentage) court case, a judge may order that an alleged parent of the child agree to DNA testing. The results of the DNA test may be used to establish legal parentage, or to declare the non-existence of a parent-child rela

Legal Parent

The legal parent is a person that has a legally established parent-child relationship with a child. If you are the legal parent of a child, your name likely will or otherwise can be placed on that child's birth certificate. A child's legal parent is allowed to do the following: make or receive child support payments, depending on their relationsh

Project Clean Slate

Project Clean Slate is a program offered by the Department of Family Services (HFS) to help qualifying non-custodial parents pay off past-due child support (arrears).You may qualify to have all past-due child support owed to the state of Illinois erased if you can provide proof that one of the following circumstances prevented you from paying child

Child Support Order

A child support order is a legally-binding court order requiring a legal parent of a child, typically the child's non-custodial parent, to make a certain amount of child support payments on a regular basis. There are two types of child support orders: judicial child support orders, and administrative child support orders. The main difference betw

IV-D Program

The IV-D program, otherwise known as child support enforcement services, is a social service program run by the Illinois Department of Family Services (HFS).Parents enrolled in the IV-D program are given free assistance with: establishing a parent's legal paternity, issuing an administrative child support order, and/or enforcing a

Presumed Parent

A presumed parent is the legal parent of a child. In other words, if you are presumed to be the parent of a child, then your legal parentage has been officially established.One is presumed to be the legal parent of a child if either one of the following conditions are met:you are married to or in a civil union with the child's biological mother at

Administrative Case Number

In Illinois, every administrative child support case has an administrative case number. Every document you receive from the Department of Family Services (HFS) will have the administrative case number written on it. Each administrative case number contains an "H". For example: "221HXXXXXX." Note: the numbers before the "H" may be differe

Declaring the Non-Existence of a Parent-Child Relationship

Declaring the non-existence of a parent-child relationship means that a child's legal parent is NO LONGER recognized as that child's legal parent. This can be made based on the results of DNA testing or by acquiring knowledge of the relevant facts of the situation, but ONLY IF it has been less than TWO (2) YEARS since the petitioner to the declarat

Department of Family Services (HFS)

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is an administrative agency with two primary functions: Providing Medicaid coverage to those who qualify; and Child support enforcement services through their IV-D program Enrolling in the IV-D program gives HFS the right to establish legal parentage, as well as enter and enforce an

Administrative Child Support Order

An administrative child support order is a legally-binding child support order that is issued by the Department of Family Services (HFS). This means that in order to modify, enforce, or terminate an administrative child support order, one should either call HFS or visit their downtown office. If you are the custodial parent of a child or are recei

Challenging a Voluntary Acknowledgement or Denial of Parentage

A signed Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP) or denial of parentage can only be challenged within TWO (2) YEARS of its being signed on one of the following bases: one was pressured into signing, or otherwise forced to sign the VAP or denial against one's will the VAP or denial of parentage was fraudulently signed; OR the VAP or denial was

Medicaid

Medicaid is a program managed by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) that pays for certain medical services for eligible children, senior adults, or disabled persons. Eligibility is determined by income – more information can be found here. Some things to know about Medicaid: If you are a recipient of Medicaid, you are

Denial of Parentage

A denial of parentage is a written document that is signed by the parent that was married to or in a civil union with the child's biological mother within 300 days of that child's birth. This parent is otherwise known as the presumed parent. By signing a denial of parentage, the presumed parent swears they are NOT the child's biological parent. An

Tax Exemptions for Minor Children

Tax exemptions for minor children, otherwise known as dependency exemptions, is a certain amount of income related to the cost of caring for and raising a minor chid(s) that is deducted from one's annual tax payments.If you are the legal parent, or have been allocated parental responsibilities (custody) of a minor child(s) you may be able to claim

Non-Custodial Parent

The non-custodial parent is the legal parent of a child, but is NOT their primary caregiver. Instead, the custodial parent is the child's main caregiver and has primary custody. Unless it has been ordered otherwise by a parenting plan, the child's biological mother will typically be their custodial parent.If two parents have joint-custody, both par

Custodial Parent

The custodial parent is the legal parent of a child that is primarily responsible for the caretaking functions for a child. In other words, a custodial parent is the child's main caregiver. If the child has another other legal parent in addition to their custodial parent, that other parent would be the child's non-custodial parent. A person can bec

Rescinding a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP)

Rescinding a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP) is the process through which a previously signed VAP is declared null and void.A VAP can ONLY be rescinded within 60 days of its being signed, OR 60 days after a different court case concerning the child has started, such as child support, allocation of parental responsibilities (custody), o

Hearing Officer

A hearing officer is an employee of either the Cook County Circuit Court or the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS). They are tasked with acting as a mediator between both parties to a case; guiding them through legal processes, and facilitating discussions.

Adjudication of Parentage

An adjudication of parentage refers to a court order (or a legally equivalent administrative order) that establishes a parent-child relationship between the adjudicated parent and a child. A judge or the Department of Family Services (HFS) may adjudicate parentage on the basis of DNA testing, or because of the relevant facts of the situation. Pare

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Definitions

Medicaid

Rescinding a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP)

Presumed Parent

IV-D Program

DNA (Genetic) Testing

Adjudication of Parentage

Challenging a Voluntary Acknowledgement or Denial of Parentage

Hearing Officer

Declaring the Non-Existence of a Parent-Child Relationship

Project Clean Slate

Custodial Parent

Administrative Case Number

Tax Exemptions for Minor Children

Gestational Surrogacy Agreement

Legal Parent

Administrative Child Support Order

Denial of Parentage

Department of Family Services (HFS)

Non-Custodial Parent

Child Support Order

Hide all related Definitions

Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP)

What Does it Mean?

How Does it Work?

Things You Should Know

See Related

Definitions

Definitions

Articles

Articles

Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP)

What Does it Mean?

How Does it Work?

Things You Should Know

See Related

Definitions

Gestational Surrogacy Agreement

DNA (Genetic) Testing

Legal Parent

Project Clean Slate

Child Support Order

IV-D Program

Presumed Parent

Administrative Case Number

Declaring the Non-Existence of a Parent-Child Relationship

Department of Family Services (HFS)

Administrative Child Support Order

Challenging a Voluntary Acknowledgement or Denial of Parentage

Medicaid

Denial of Parentage

Tax Exemptions for Minor Children

Non-Custodial Parent

Custodial Parent

Rescinding a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP)

Hearing Officer

Adjudication of Parentage

Definitions

Medicaid

Rescinding a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP)

Presumed Parent

IV-D Program

DNA (Genetic) Testing

Adjudication of Parentage

Challenging a Voluntary Acknowledgement or Denial of Parentage

Hearing Officer

Declaring the Non-Existence of a Parent-Child Relationship

Project Clean Slate

Custodial Parent

Administrative Case Number

Tax Exemptions for Minor Children

Gestational Surrogacy Agreement

Legal Parent

Administrative Child Support Order

Denial of Parentage

Department of Family Services (HFS)

Non-Custodial Parent

Child Support Order

Articles

How to Obtain a Copy of Your Child's Birth Certificate

Child Support Owed to a Parent vs. the State

How Paternity is Established

Articles

How to Obtain a Copy of Your Child's Birth Certificate

Child Support Owed to a Parent vs. the State

How Paternity is Established