Paternity means fatherhood. Establishing paternity means making the biological father a legal father, too.
All children have two parents.
Paternity should be established if the parents of a child are not married to each other. It is important to establish paternity because the name of the father will appear on the baby's birth certificate. Both parents have a responsibility to support their child. Both the mother and the father can provide financial help for the baby as it grows. Receiving child support from the father can make a big difference in providing for the child.