Texas Child Protection Law Bench Book

2024 version: As effective October 1, 2024

G. Acknowledged Father

A man is an Acknowledged Father if:

• He has executed an Acknowledgement of Paternity (AOP) pursuant to Tex. Fam. Code § 160.302. A valid AOP filed with the Vital Statistics Unit (VSU) of the Texas Department of State and Health Services is the equivalent of an adjudication of paternity.

Special Issue: While the Texas Family Code references the Vital Statistics Unit (VSU), the Texas Department of State and Health Services refers to this division as the Vital Statistics Section (VSS).