São Paulo Public Defender's Office Offers Free Paternity Recognition Event
The Public Defender's Office of the State of São Paulo is accepting registrations until July 30th for its "Meu Pai Tem Nome" (My Father Has a Name) national event, scheduled for August 1st. This initiative provides free services for paternity recognition and investigation, as well as the regularization of civil records. The event is organized by the National Council of Public Defenders-General (Condege) in collaboration with Public Defender's Offices nationwide.
In President Prudente, Bauru, and Marília, over 300 children were registered without their father's name in 2026. Data from the Civil Registry Transparency Portal reveals that in President Prudente, 113 out of 2,886 births in 2025 and 66 out of 144 births in 2026 lacked paternal identification. Bauru saw 273 cases among 4,192 births in 2025 and 154 out of 222 in 2026. Marília recorded 167 instances among 2,891 births in 2025 and 96 out of 170 in 2026.
Interested individuals can register via the Public Defender's Office website. The "Dia D" (D-Day) event will take place at over 60 locations across São Paulo, including Public Defender units and partner institutions. The campaign aims to enhance access to citizenship, secure fundamental rights, and strengthen family ties through civil record regularization. Key partners include the São Paulo Institute of Social Medicine and Criminology (Imesc), the Association of Civil Registrars of Natural Persons of the State of São Paulo (Arpen-SP), the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of São Paulo State University (Unesp), and state Secretariats of Justice and Health.
This initiative addresses a critical gap in civil registration, aiming to provide legal and social recognition for children and strengthen family structures. The widespread absence of paternal names in civil records across multiple cities highlights a systemic issue that impacts children's rights and access to social benefits. By offering free services, the Public Defender's Office and its partners are mitigating barriers to legal identity. Looking ahead, understanding the root causes of absent paternal registration—whether due to social stigma, economic factors, or legal complexities—will be crucial for developing more sustainable, long-term solutions that ensure every child's right to a recognized parentage and a complete civil record.
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