The parents of more than 150 babies born during lockdown who have not yet registered their birth are being urged to make the trip to the town hall.
More than 850 babies were born while the register office was closed from 24 March to mid-June during lockdown.
Most of these have now been registered – but 150 have yet to be officially recorded.
Councillor David Gibson, lead councillor for Life Events, said: “Congratulations to all new families in the city. The government restrictions prevented so many of the celebrations we usually enjoy when a baby is born and the pressure on new parents to manage alone during the lockdown was huge.
“We totally understand how birth registration has been overlooked at this time. We welcome you now to get in touch with our registration team and register your baby as soon as possible.”
It is a legal requirement to register a birth and many parents treasure their official birth certificate issued by the registrar team. Birth certificates are used throughout life and are often needed for identity, education and travel.
You can make an appointment with the register office online or by phone on 01273 292016.
Information on registering a baby:
- Babies must be registered at the register office local to where they were born (if your child was born outside Brighton and Hove you will need to look up the nearest register office to their birth place)
- Babies must be registered within 42 days of birth (this wasn’t possible during lockdown and we are now trying to find all those who were born when birth registration wasn’t taking place)
- Registration is a quick process. The parent(s) provide their details and the baby’s information. You will need to bring ID with you (details of this are on the council website)
- The registrar produces an official record for the parent(s) to check and sign so a birth certificate can be issued
- There is no charge for the appointment of the official a registration. There is a charge of £11 per birth certificate (this is a statutory charge and the fee is set by the General Register Office)
- The register office has measures in place to prevent the spread of covid-19 and staff can talk with you in advance about any concerns you may have around visiting Brighton Town Hall
- To limit the number of people coming into offices:
- Only one parent should attend the appointment for married and civil partner couples
- For parents who are not married or in a civil partnership with the baby’s father or second parent, you must both attend together for all parents’ details be included on the registration
- The baby and any other siblings do not need to be present
