A father can voluntarily acknowledge paternity by signing a written admission of paternity. All states have a program which birthing hospitals give unmarried parents of a newborn the opportunity to acknowledge the father`s paternity. Under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 PRWORA), an acknowledgement of paternity becomes a finding of paternity, unless the man who signed the acknowledgement denies that he is the father within 60 days. Paternity determination is a necessary step in establishing a support order.