Delivery under X

Verified 11 February 2022 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

A pregnant woman may decide to give birth under X, i.e. anonymously, whether in a public (hospital) or private (clinic) establishment, whether or not it is a contract. To give birth under X, the patient must inform the medical team at the health facility of her choice. The child will then be handed over to the child welfare agency (Ase) for possible adoption. However, the mother may reconsider her choice and recover her child within a period of 2 months.

Steps

The pregnant woman, who wishes to give birth under X, must warn the medical team of the health facility of his choice (public or private, contracted or not).

No identification can be requested and no investigation can be conducted. Thus, the patient keeps the secret of her admission.

The woman who gave birth under X will be able to lift the secret of her identity, at any timeduring his life.

Information provided by the medical team

The medical team provides him with the following information for his decision to be made enlightened manner :

  • Consequences of abandoning the child
  • Choice of whether or not to give his identity and/or information concerning him or her or concerning the origins of the child in a closed envelope (for example, on his or her health and that of the father, the circumstances of his or her birth, etc.). The closed letter shall be kept by the President of the Department's departments.
  • Financial aid to raise the child
  • Regime of guardianship of State wards that will apply to the child
  • Time limits and conditions under which the child may be taken over by his parents

FYI  

at her request or with her consent, the woman can receive psychological and social support from the services of the department of social assistance for children (Ase).

Who shall I contact

The child is handed over to Asia,.

A report shall be drawn up.

The latter refers to the mother's possible consent to adoption.

If the mother so wishes, it shall also contain all information concerning the health, the child's origins, the reasons and the circumstances of his or her surrender to Asia.

From that moment on, the child no longer has parentage.

The child is declared ward of government on a provisional basis on the date on which the minutes are drawn up.

A specific guardianship is then organized by the prefect (who exercises the functions of guardian) and the State wards family council to protect the child.

The child is then placed in a nursery or near a host family for a transitional period.

Possibility of picking up your child

The mother has a period of 2 months to reconsider his decision and recognize his child. The abandonment therefore remains temporary during this period.

During this period, the child is not adoptable.

However, if the mother reverses her decision, the department offers her support for 3 years after the return of her child.

The purpose of this follow-up is to restore the relationships necessary for the physical and psychological development of the child, and to ensure his or her emotional stability.

After this period of 2 months, if the mother has not returned to pick up her child, the child is definitely admitted as a ward of the state. It can then be moved for adoption.

Recognition

Each parent can recognize a child born as X in a two-month period.

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Recognition by the father

The father can recognize his child born under X within 2 months of birth.

Recognition can be done in any city hall by presenting the following documents:

  • Proof of identity
  • Proof of domicile (or residence) of less than 3 months
Who shall I contact

If he does not know the date and place of birth of the child, he may refer the matter to the public prosecutor for investigation into the date and place of issue of the birth certificate.

Who shall I contact

Recognition by mother

The mother must recognize the child within 2 months of the birth of the child to request that the child be given to her.

Recognition can be done in any city hall by presenting the following documents:

  • Proof of identity
  • Proof of domicile (or residence) of less than 3 months
Who shall I contact

The child may ask majority, to know her mother either to the National Council for Access to Personal Origins (CNAOP) or to the President of the General Council.

Who shall I contact

  • National Council for Access to Personal Origins (CNAOP)

    By mail

    General Secretariat

    14 Duquesne Avenue

    75350 Paris 07 SP

    By email

    cnaop-secr@sante.gouv.fr

If the mother gives her consent, the secret of the parentage can be lifted. The same is true if she consented and died.