How far along one could create a child ‘on paper’ only. Something like at home birth reported, could a birth certificate be given without presenting the baby (even under unusual circumstances such as closes ‘cult like’ communities)? Could we reasonably get to home schooling? Could such a legal entity make it to adulthood?
The couple of state websites I checked WRT birth certificates required proof for the parent’s identity, but other than lying on the form*, didn’t require any proof that the baby actually exists.
*I’m assuming your question allows the parents (well, “parents”) to lie. If not, this would be the end of the road as they have to attest that the information on the form is true and I’m willing to bet lying on a vital record is illegal.
Sometimes, they would have to get someone else to lie as well - one set of instructions I found says
If the birth certifier is the mother, father, or person in charge of the premises where the birth occurred, the filing of the birth record must be accompanied by a statement from a physician who later gave care to the mother or child, if any, OR a sworn (notarized) statement by a third party present at the delivery or having personal knowledge of the delivery.
Getting a social security card could be harder. The birth certificate can be used as proof of identity, but you’d have to establish yourself as the child’s parent/guardian. The options they offer are:
-Court custody documentation
-You are listed as the parent in SSA records
-Letter from state social service placing the child in your household
-School records indicating that you have responsibility for the child
-Rental agreement listing the child in your household
The easiest may be to lie about home schooling and see if that works (especially if you had to register with the state to do the home schooling), otherwise lie to your landlord about the existence of the fake child and hope they put the kid’s name on the rental agreement somewhere.
However, while it’s not listed as an option in the specific section of the site I was looking at, I feel like the kid’s birth certificate, with both their and your name listed on it, would also work.
OTOH, depending on why you want this paper child, you may not need an SSN. Though I have to assume, it would be for some type of government benefits fraud, in which case, you probably do.
IIRC there was just a box to check when applying for the birth certificate.
That’s all I had to do - but my kids were born at a hospital. I’m not sure that you can just “check the box” for an out of hospital birth not attended by a medical professional.
It would be a rather foolish thing to do. If successful, anyone might question why the child that exists according to governmental records also seems to be missing leading to charges of murder. The old “It was only a fake paper baby excuse” probably won’t go over well.
OTOH
Makes me sad thinking of babies who have been born but their birth was never recorded for various mostly nefarious reasons.
Especially in forced birth states where a pregnancy is hidden and the baby taken and who knows what happens to it.
No I have no cites except humans can be evil.