La tutelle de l'Office de la jeunesse sur l'enfant naturel en Allemagne : une institution en voie de disparition

Abstract

The biological mother of the child is always known in Germany. On the other hand it is more difftcult to establish the child's link with his father, especially if the parents are not married to each other. In this case, the father either voluntarily recognises the child or his paternity is established by the law. But the biological father sometimes refuses to assume his paternity. The Germon law, trying to help the children to find their fathers, created an original institution. At the child's birth, it is put under the guardianship of the Youth office who helps him to establish his legal link with his father and to daim financial support from him. Since the twenties, unmarried mothers are thus helped by the government to find the father of their child. But the authoritarian character of the aid is today criticised by feminists. A new law takes into account these criticisms and transforms this authoritarian guardianship into voluntary assistance available to ail single parents. The unmarried mother now has the choice of whether or not to accept this governmental aid in effort to find the father of her child.