The broad ax., 1920-01-03
CHILDREN BORN OUT OF
WEDLocK.
q. s. Department of Labor,
children's Bureau.
Washington

What rights do the laws of this
country give to the child born out
Of wedIoeIr7 What responsibility
has the State toward him7 What
method exists of placing a part of
the burden Of ms support and educa-I
ton upon the father7 Can the child
inherit property from either his
father or his motnerf Has he a
night to his fathers name? Does the
subsequent marriage of his parents
make him legitimate in the eyes Of
che lay? These and many other
questions about the legal Obligations
of parents and of the State to chill
dren born ont of wedlock are an
swered in a bulletin entitled aIIle-
gitimaey Laws in the United States
and Certain Foreign Countries" is
sued by the children's Bureau ofstheI
United States Department of Labor.
The English common law, IN some
respects still unzltered in England
and in parts of the United States, re-
CARDS the child born out of wedlock
as the @child of no one" He bears
no legal relationship even to his
mother, and the subsequent marriage
Of his parents can not legitimate
him. Many of our States have al
tered the common law by statutes
more favorable to the child. One of
the most radical departures is found
IN the North Dakota law of 1917.
which declares every child the legit-
mate child of his natural parents,
but which weakens this broad provi-
sion by the failure to provide sde-
quate administrative machinery.
Minnesota in 1917 passed law
which aims to secure for children
born out of wedIock ~the nearest APP
proximatioE to the care, support, and
education that they would be en-
titled to receive If born of lawful
marriage The State Board of Con-
troll IS made the child;s Official guar
dian; this board may bring com
plant in illegitimaey proceedings
and must see that the chiId's inter
ests are safegusrded
Provisions were Adopted in vir-
ginis As early as i78s. whereby the
Issue Of certain annulled marriages
could Be made legitimate, and where
BY subsequent marriage could legiti-
mate issue, and the child could in
herit from the mother. These pro-
visions are not even yet universal IN
this country. -Four States have no
provision for legitimstion by subse-
Quent marriage. and many Iimita-
lions are placed upon the right Of
children o. annulled or void mar
RACES to be considered legitimate.
Attention IS called in this report to
the fact that our legal provisions for
the Support Of the child born out Of
wedloek are inadequate-the pay
ments prescribed are often too low,
and n most Of the States the period
Of support is too brief, sometimes
reaching only 70 the ehild's 10Th or
18th year. In one State only sin
gle payment Of $50 IS required; IN
smother so distributed over three
years s required The two most
liberal States have aIloWsuces thztl
total. IN one case, $50 for the frstl
Is years Of the child's life; and IN
he other. $3.50 for the first eleven
years Of the ehild's Life.
The report suggests that iiieeiti-
macy legislation IN he United States
night Be improved By uniforlh pro-
lision for the establishment 81 ie-
.i,inaey; the iegihmafion Of children
! nnn Or subsequent marriages. pos
l1Ility 81 adoption b the fsfher.
nd deelaralion that the relation oil
bother and child IS the sane whether
Be shild Is iesisinate Or not.
q addition 70 q criti-sl aualysis !
6 illesithnacx legislation "a this i