• About this study
• Our findings
• Our study details

Motivations for sole and joint birth registration

About this study

This is a report, published June 2008, of a study concerning the choices, circumstances and motivations which influence and underpin sole and joint birth registration. You can read the findings here.

The study consists of two key elements. The first investigates the characteristics of sole registrants compared to unmarried parents jointly registering. The second compares the characteristics of unmarried parents to those registering a birth within a marriage.

Timeline

Potential policy impact

This study was carried out at a time when government was beginning to review birth registration legislation.

Early findings were used in the Green Paper, 'Joint birth registration: promoting parental responsibility'. The full findings were used to inform the White Paper 'Joint birth registration: recording responsibility'.

Method

We used Quantitative analysis of the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), a survey of 18,500 new mothers carried out during 2001-02.

The second element was conducted by the Qualitative Research Unit and explores and provides understanding about the motivations driving the different birth registration types amongst unmarried parents.

Of interest: