To report parents for not registering the birth of a child

[Anon6356237]

Should I stay out of it or report? I'm concerned the child could fly under the radar if there are any concerns if they are not 'in the system'. Who would I report to?

Does that mean they can’t access medical care?

It's a thing conspiracy nuts do.

Funny blog about a recent case

suesspiciousminds.com/2019/06/21/all-at-sea-2/

YABU. You should keep your nose out. It’s none of your business. If they feel they don’t want the child to be government property then that’s their right as parents. We must be so careful on taking away parental rights of choice whether we agree with the choice or not. It’s a slippery slope.

I would definitely report them. Their child needs to be “in the system” so that their welfare can be checked on if needed and so that when they’re older they can get a job etc, you can’t just ignore the whole system.

Call the register office for your area.

Totally do it, how will this child be able to get medical care/a job/passport etc

I cant believe people are saying don't report! Not having a birth certificate will have negative effects for that child if it wants to participate in society when it's older. I don't think that's a choice parents should be entitled to make.

I looked for information on his and the laws surrounding it are suprisingly lax. A £200 fine for not registering within 42 days, but this isn't always enforced. Apparently Hugh Grant failed to register his child within the time frame and received no penalty.

Quite tellingly there is no upper age limit on registering a child. Which tells me there must be a cobsiderable number of people who get registered later in life, presumably when it becomes too inconvenient not to have one.

I wonder if traveller children etc always formally register?

Not sure I'd do anything. Depends on the family as I am certain that the child will request it when old enough. They would still be able to access emergency NHS treatment, pay for vaccinations privately etc.

I've heard of this- it's a big thing amongst the fundie homesteading sorts in America.

I'd report it. Would they know it was you?

@Cocoloco2019

The problem is that people also adopt these beliefs if they have something to hide. You will find a surprising large number of "freeman of the land" (to name just one) have criminal records as long as your arm and their reason for "not wanting to be controlled by government" is the fact that they are doing or wanting to do things that are illegal .....

You would be right for genuine cases, i have a cousin who was a new age traveller back in the day and still holds that sort of free spirit belief, but many who are hiding things do the same.

YABU. You should keep your nose out. It’s none of your business. If they feel they don’t want the child to be government property then that’s their right as parents. We must be so careful on taking away parental rights of choice whether we agree with the choice or not. It’s a slippery slope.
Having a birth certificate that enables a child to be part of society, access medical care etc isn't a parental rights issue.

Choosing to keep a child off grid and hidden from professionals, healthcare, education etc is a safeguarding issue.

I'm not sure what slipper slope you refer to.

Age 5 that is odd? If they were completely off the record eg. No midwifery Care, home birth etc How do they get an nhs number, do they ever go to the doctor? They won’t be able to get a bank account or a passport without a birth certificate.

I agree somewhat with not interfering with parental choice, but a birth certificate is a fairly basic requirement for participating in society. It’s not like every parent who registered their child has social services knocking on their doors every 5 minutes

If you have concerns about the safety of the child then report it. If you don’t like the fact they aren’t registered but the child is fine then I would leave it.

I’d report it OP, it means no school, no doctors, no vaccinations, no dental care..... no passport.... no benefits......
The implications are massive.....

Without registration the child would not be able to receive healthcare, child benefits, anything. I suspect they actually mean registering for school as homeschooled, this isn't compulsory

If they are not registered then they are not in the system and totally at risk of being unnoticed; healthcare, education, abuse, neglect (and not accesing healthcare is neglect). This is before practicalities of not being able to get a passport, job, bank account, driving licence etc.
Personally on a safeguarding point I would report.

No NHS number and no NI number will be v inconvenient and suspicious in later life. I think it’s almost abuse by deliberately making the child disadvantaged and invisible.
Why would you want to do that?

I think you could still have used a hospital for birth but either given them false details or moved around following the birth. That and the home school suggests a level of planning that’s disturbing enough to report I think

Report it. It's. Not fair on the child.

No real concerns about the child, except that they are not vaccinated. I think I will report to the registry office.

Apparently Hugh Grant failed to register his child within the time frame and received no penalty.

Hugh Grant was not married to any of the mothers of his children at the time of their birth, therefore impossible for him to register them with the cooperation of the mother

So no child benefit, no access to state education - presumably at any level (some home ed will be great, some may not be), no possibility of a 'qualified' career, no NI number, so no job, difficulty registering with GP and therefore limited or no healthcare, no right to vote, no passport, no driving licence, no pension.
Do the parents' unorthodox views trump the best interests of the child?

Report it, OP. For the sake of the child.

It's a potential safe guarding issue, IMO.

Can you give any details about the family without outing yourself? E.g. is the family very much behind closed doors? Do they interact in the community? Do you see the child out and about looking healthy?

Just a thought - if it's been a casual conversation, could the parent you spoke to have meant that the child wasn't registered for school rather than, the child's birth has not been formally registered?

Home Office to child in a few year - do you have a right to live in the UK/are you a British citizen? Child - yes. I was born here. HO- prove it. Child - er...

Report it
Talking through experience and to be honest I wish I didn’t remember what I know now awful memory.

Of course you should. If this is real (and you have not been misinformed that the child is unregistered) then I can't believe you even need to ask.

100% I’d report. Poor kid will never go to school, go abroad, be able to get work as an adult on any benefits they’re entitled to as an adult.