April, 2020
The Voluntary Paternity Affidavit program provides information and resources for Iowa hospitals, clinics, community organizations, and families. This program is funded through a partnership between Iowa State University and Iowa's Child Support Recovery Unit.

To learn more visit our website .
Covid-19 and Paternity Establishment
In response to the Covid-19 outbreak, Governor Reynolds issued guidance that has resulted in some changes in daily operation for the agencies who work together to support paternity establishment in Iowa.

Information about operations for the Bureau of Health Statistics, Child Support Recovery Unit, and VPA Outreach program is detailed below.
Bureau of Health Statistics
Paternity Affidavit processing is proceeding as normal. Please continue to send completed and notarized forms and supporting documents to BHS. The following staff are available to assist you if needed:

Paternity Affidavit
Sonia Hocking  (515) 281-6687
Laura Geist      (515) 281-3266

Birth Registration
Molly Gilliam    (515) 242-6332


Child Support Recovery Unit
Local CSRU office lobbies are closed to the general public, with most employees working remotely. Information about how to reach local offices by email and phone is available at childsupport.ia.gov through the 'Offices' tab.

Customer relations lines are still operational. You can reach them at (515) 242-5501 or (515) 242-5508.


VPA Outreach Coordinator – Amy Peters
Iowa State University has closed most campus buildings, directed non-essential staff to work from home, and restricted professional travel and outreach activities. The VPA Outreach Coordinator is working remotely, and can best be reached by email at [email protected] .

Requests for in-person training are still welcome, but scheduling will be postponed until guidance from Iowa State University and Governor Reynolds allows for such activities.

If you have a training need that can be met using remote technology, please contact Amy to discuss options.

Orders for VPA brochures may be delayed due to restricted access to our campus office. Please place your orders as you normally would, and we will fill them as we are able. Priority will be given to orders for the Comm 107 brochure, as hospitals are required to offer that material.
Paternity Affidavit Form
Reducing Errors and Rejections
Revisions made to the Paternity Affidavit form last year included changes intended to simplify completion, and reduce errors and rejections.

The most common errors that lead to a rejected affidavit are missing information, and alterations to the form (cross-outs, white-out, etc).

You can help families reduce the chance of having a rejected affidavit by sharing these tips for avoiding common errors.
VPA Form Changes
In each newsletter we will feature a sample of one section of the current form with tips for completing it accurately. In this issue, we will look at the child information section.
As with all sections, it is important to not leave any field blank. To complete the child section:

  1. Check the box to indicate whether this was a multiple birth. If yes, an affidavit should be completed for each child.
  2. Fill in the child's first, middle and last name. *If no middle name is given, check the box in that field.
  3. Enter the suffix given with the child's name. *If no suffix is used, you can write "none" or "NA" in that field, or leave it blank.
  4. Check the correct box to indicate the child's sex.
  5. Enter the child's birth date using a month /day/ year format.
  6. Enter the city, county, and state where the child was born.
  7. Enter the name of the hospital where the child was born. If it was a home birth, the address where it occurred should be entered in this field.
  8. Fill in the child's last name after paternity. There are three options for completing this field:
  • It can be kept the same as the name on the birth certificate
  • It can be changed to the father's last name, if different than the birth certificate
  • It can add the father's last name to the name on the birth certificate

If you have any questions about completing the form, please contact the VPA Outreach Coordinator at [email protected] .
Resource Spotlight
Every Mother Counts is an organization whose mission is to raise awareness about issues around maternal health. They have created a consolidated list of information and resources related to Covid-19 for pregnant women and new moms, and for maternal health professionals. Links to information from reputable sources are available through the Covid-19 Resource Hub on their website. Click below to visit the page.