Location: Kentucky
My sister is due next month and has recently started saying she does not want to get a birth certificate or social security number for the baby. She says she does not want the government “tracking” her child and that she can homeschool and keep everything private.
Her husband agrees with her. They are both adults and married, so I understand this is their child and not mine. The problem is they do not seem to understand what this could do later. I asked how the baby would get medical care, insurance, school records, or any kind of ID later and she said “people survived before paperwork.”
I am not trying to take over or start a family fight. I just worry the child will be stuck later because of decisions made before they could speak for themselves.
My parents have tried talking to her and she shuts it down. She says everyone is being dramatic and that birth certificates are optional if you know your rights. I have no idea if that is true. I tried searching online but everything I find is confusing or looks like conspiracy stuff.
Is there any legal requirement in Kentucky to register a birth or get a birth certificate? If parents refuse, can any family member report it or do anything, or is this completely up to the parents?
I am mostly asking because I want to know if there is a real legal issue here or if I need to stay out of it.