Who has custody

[devineali]

North Carolina
I am a single parent of a 23 month old child. The father never signed the BC. I moved from NY to NC a year ago to go to college which I am doing. He is not supporting my daughter so I went to the child support office just today to try to obtain some support. They will work on it between the states. Howver, I was told I do not have custody and I am only the caretaker. I have never heard of this before. She has been in my care since birth, nursed for a year, physically, emotionally and spiritually has been taken care of by me. If this is true, who would take care of her if I died. The father does not deny paternity. Says he loves her but has no money to send. He eats and buys himself things. But can't afford to support her. I have been doing it all which is fine. I asked that he sign a paper giving up rights but he refused. Who has custody?

 

[Just Blue]

North Carolina
I am a single parent of a 23 month old child. The father never signed the BC. I moved from NY to NC a year ago to go to college which I am doing. He is not supporting my daughter so I went to the child support office just today to try to obtain some support. They will work on it between the states. Howver, I was told I do not have custody and I am only the caretaker. I have never heard of this before. She has been in my care since birth, nursed for a year, physically, emotionally and spiritually has been taken care of by me. If this is true, who would take care of her if I died. The father does not deny paternity. Says he loves her but has no money to send. He eats and buys himself things. But can't afford to support her. I have been doing it all which is fine. I asked that he sign a paper giving up rights but he refused. Who has custody?

Custody is a legal issue. Since you never established paternity is is irrelevant.

 

[LdiJ]

North Carolina
I am a single parent of a 23 month old child. The father never signed the BC. I moved from NY to NC a year ago to go to college which I am doing. He is not supporting my daughter so I went to the child support office just today to try to obtain some support. They will work on it between the states. Howver, I was told I do not have custody and I am only the caretaker. I have never heard of this before. She has been in my care since birth, nursed for a year, physically, emotionally and spiritually has been taken care of by me. If this is true, who would take care of her if I died. The father does not deny paternity. Says he loves her but has no money to send. He eats and buys himself things. But can't afford to support her. I have been doing it all which is fine. I asked that he sign a paper giving up rights but he refused. Who has custody?

Yes you do have custody. You have custody of your child by virtue of giving birth and by virtue of the fact that at the moment you are the only legal parent your child has.

What you don't have, is court ordered custody. However, you don't need court ordered custody at this point, because again, you are the only legal parent of the child, and an unwed mother, therefore you will have custody until or unless a court orders differently.

Did the child support office tell you that you were only the caretaker?..because that is a bit weird. That's like telling married parents that they are only the caretakers of their children.