help i need to get my baby's ssn

[lysanderishisname]

I been struggling with the socail security office about my baby's social security number. I had a home birth and without the moutain of paper work that comes with a hospital birth, i dont have proper documentation of the baby. First the lady told me all i needed was a medical record then when i came back she told me it had to be a medical document proving that my husband and i are the parents. It has to be certified by the doctors office. I called my doctors office and they have never heard of anything like that before.: did anyone else with a home birth have this problem? Can someone give me an idea of what to do? aaaaahhhhh i just want to get my taxes done!

[Eaglevoice]

When dd was born at home, my midwife filled out a birth certificate form and mailed it in for us. I just took the birth certificate in and got her a ssn. You never got a birth certificate? I'm sure you can go to your county records office and get a form and have all of the appropriate people sign it and get a birth certificate.

[lysanderishisname]

we have a birth certificate, but that is not enough. Midwives are not licenes in Indiana, so we dont have a birth registration.

[tamagotchi]

We went through this with the social security office too. They want to see documents proving the child's age, citizenship, and identity. The birth certificate is accepted as proof of both age and citizenship. For proof of identity, here is what they state is acceptable:

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10023.html

We prefer to see the child’s U.S. passport. If that document is not available, we may accept the child’s:

* Adoption decree;
* Doctor, clinic or hospital record;
* Religious record (e.g., baptismal record);
* Daycare center or school record; or
* School identification card.

We used our midwife's statement that she had attended the birth, but midwives are licensed in our state.

You really should be able to use a medical record. Maybe her objection was that it wasn't an "original document" certified by the doctor's office? The SSA web site says they can't accept photocopies.

[tamagotchi]

I should also add that if you are running into trouble with your local social security office, you can try calling the national office. It took our local office several months to process our son's number and I was really annoyed that I couldn't file our taxes for months. It actually helped us to call the national office, they made sure our son's number got to us within a couple of weeks after we called them.

[rere]

It took my friend a year to get her daughter's ssn because she did not have a legal midwife attend her birth.Hopefully you won't have that much trouble.Maybe you should ask some of the UCers what they do since there is no care provider.

[valeria_vi]

Originally Posted by lysanderishisname

we have a birth certificate, but that is not enough. Midwives are not licenes in Indiana, so we dont have a birth registration.

same for IL. but we filed for the ssn at the same time and at the same office as for the birth certificate.

[ckhagen]

The SS number is usually filed for on the same form as the birth certificate. If not... you can bring the birth certificate into the local SS office and they should give you a number.
SSA is Federal... not state... so the rules should be the same *everywhere*.

We're having some issues getting ours right now, but that's because the entire form that goes to the DoH got lost in the mail.

[theretohere]

That's weird- I'm in IN too and my midwife said that she can give us the paperwork to get a SSN the same time we fill out the birth cert. stuff.

[barefoot mama]

We are having trouble with this right now, too. We had problems getting the BC, and then when we finally got it, the clerk told us they would send all the info to SS and a card would arrive in the mail. It never did. They told me I have to re-apply in person. The woman on the phone told me I had to bring his BC and his shot record. I asked if it had to be specifically that, and she said that was the only acceptable piece of ID for the baby. We don't vax, so my sister (who happens to be our doc, lucky me) is giving me a shot record with the baby's info on it and nothing else. Obviously there is nothing to write when one does not get shots. I have no idea if this is going to fly or not. I'm planning on going in next week.

We will probably go ahead and get a passport for him if this doesn't cut it. Although I think that is beyond ridiculous. Like there is no way anyone could forge a passport. Please. You get them at the local drugstore with virtually no ID.

This whole thing has made me nuts. :

[Emilie]

I had a hard time with getting the birth certificate for dd. My county had not dealt with hb before.
Call the state and see what they need you to do.

[Kidzaplenty]

I am an expert at getting BCs for my children. I have had seven UC homebirths. I have had seven live births. And I have seven legally registered BC from the state. AND I have had them in a total of five different states(Florida, Georgia, Texas, New Mexico, & Indiana).

The basic requirements that I have had to have were 1) my ID, 2) proof of my pregnancy, 3) proof of live birth (this is accomplished with a copy of a Dr's note from a well baby check up - must include baby's name and DOB), 4) and most of the time at least two witness statements (this is can be accomplished even if the person was not actually at the birth, however if there was anyone at the birth I would use them. I have my DH fill out a statement as well as two other people that basically states: "I personally know that (or I was a witness to the birth of) Sarah Jane Doe was born on January 2, 2007 at 3:30 pm. She weighted 6 pounds 6 ounces, was 21 inches long and was born alive." Then have them sign it along with writing in their complete name, address, and phone number, and dating it. I have been told that this is a legal statement. You can even have the have it notarized to make it a "legal document".)

Witness statements have been used instead of vax cards. Also, I have been asked for proof of residence (lease or utility bill) and once (in Georgia) I had to actually go to the court house and fill out an affidavit.

Most of the time the SS was issued with the BC, but on several occasions there was a mix up and I had to file for it separately. I just used the BC that I received from the state and then the same copy of a doctors note with baby's name and DOB. If they were not filed with the BC, I did have to go into a SS office and file in person, but I have never had any trouble. For each state, I just provided the same info for both the BC and the SS.

I have seven of each.

[time4another]

Hmmm...the only issue we had with this was getting the BC. Once we got that we were golden at the SS office.

They only needed the BC, baby's insurance card and my driver's licence.

In about a week we had our SSN & card.

Heather

[barefoot mama]

I've never had trouble before. This was my 5th home birth and 3rd UC. I was told there have recently been new post-911 regulations put in place. I'm missing how any of this makes us more secure.

[~MoonGypsy~]

I think I'd rather have homebirth SSN issues then the one the hospital caused for us.

They submitted my son's information without his father on the BC OR his middle name. It took me a week of sitting in the SS Office to find out that because it had been over a year I would have to have a legal name change done in order to have my son's middle name but on his birth certificate. That's $200+ and a day in court!!

OP: I don't think you can get a Social Security Number with a Birth Certificate. Is that what they're asking for?

[phathui5]

Here in MD, getting a SSN just means checking off a box on the form for the birth certificate. That stinks that they're giving you such a hard time about it.

[FireflyFan]

Man, some of you guys have had it easy!!!

In another town in IL, we had to go to two separate places to get a BC & SSN.

Here in Chicago, it sounds like we'll have to go to the hospital *first*, to get a PKU test, and have them send the info to the SSN office, which is confusing and worrisome for me. I'd like to wait for at least five days minimum before getting a PKU, however, and I'd also like to put it on my insurance, since obviously the baby won't have his or her own insurance yet, and I'm worried and anxious about whether they will accept a 5 day old baby, as well as accept my own insurance instead of the baby's.

[WinterBaby]

We had a bit of a go around getting all our paperwork. First the county office never sent in the birth certificate stuff to the state to register the birth. Then when that was finally accomplished, the ss office lost our application. During this post 9/11 time, the rules were evolving and they wanted birth certificate information directly verified by the county and of course the county had no system of doing to, so that never occured until the application expired again. When I finally got my dd's ss number, they'd have taken a health insurance card but only if it showed her date of birth (and possibly my name?) on it. I had been dragging my feet a bit on the ss#, but got a passport for her off the bat and used that plus her birth certificate in a sealed envelope that I hand delivered from the county for the ss application. A passport wasn't a pain to get and she had that years before a ss#. However, just a record (like a shot record even if no shots are recorded,) from her doctor should be sufficient. In the new rules I'm reading they aren't seeming to require the extra birth certificate steps they were making me go through. Perhaps most county governments were equally unresponsive to verifying birth certificate inforamtion in any timely or organized way, lol. Anyhow, none of our hang-ups related so much on having an illegal birth attendant as they were just inefficient beauracracy

[lysanderishisname]

thank you so much for your help everyone, it feels so good to know you guys are out there. i am going to makes some phone calls to my health deparment and see it they cant get my birth registation copied to me.

[SublimeBirthGirl]

I had a UC with my 2nd and had no problems. I haven't gotten the birth certificate yet but I think I just need to order one now. I brought in proof of pregnancy (a prenatal record from Georgia Friends of Midwives that I filled in myself) and 2 affidavits of attendance of the birth, one signed by me and one by my husband. We got the social security card in the mail w/ in a few weeks.