Foster Homes, Evictions and Homelessness
Born in Central Islip, NY, Regina grew up in the Suffolk County, NY with her four siblings. While under the guardianship of their single mother Regina and her siblings were evicted from every home they ever resided in and lived in numerous foster homes, homeless shelters and on the streets. Her older sisters and Regina served as the primary care givers to their younger siblings due to their mother’s mental instability and her documented abandonment of her children for days, weeks and months at a time.
Emancipated at Age 14 and Beating the Odds
At the age of fourteen, Regina successfully emancipated herself from her mother, thus giving Regina the authority to determine where and how she would live. However, once emancipated, Regina was advised that she should plan to live “independently” at age eighteen when a foster child’s care by the state ceases. Rather than becoming homeless, she put herself through college while working several jobs at once beginning at the State University of New York (SUNY) Stony Brook at 17 and later transferred to SUNY New Paltz and graduated college at age 21.
Less than 2% of the US foster care population actually obtain a college degree and no statistics are kept for those who obtain advanced degrees, so Regina knows how fortunate she is to have beat the odds and credits all her public school teachers and specifically the committed Centereach High School educators who put her on the path to college.
Seeking Her True Parentage
Although Regina shares the same mother with her siblings, they all had different fathers. This distinction had no impact on the love, respect and adoration amongst them especially since none of their biological fathers were present in their lives. However, the quest to identify her own paternity was something that Regina always desired. So when she finally had the resources and wherewithal to seek out her father, she did so. Upon locating him, Regina simply asked him for his DNA and committed to absolve him of any liability based upon a positive DNA outcome. He refused. So in an effort to finally obtain her true parentage, Regina brought the first case of its kind in the United States that allowed an adult child to determine their parentage via DNA, In re Parentage of Regina Calcaterra. Prior to her Washington State case, only a minor child had the right to seek DNA from a putative father. While Regina’s case was pending and thereafter, eight states adopted a child’s right to seek their biological parentage regardless of age, the other forty-two still have not. Thus, Regina’s case of first impression serves as guidance to jurisdictions that do not expressly permit an adult child to obtain DNA from their putative parents.
Paternity Case Outcome and Familial Connections
Although the DNA test proved positive, no prior support or compensation was requested or received by Regina. She pursued this significant legal action because she genuinely felt that she had a right to know her parentage and by happenstance created precedent in Washington State and a case of first impression in the United States.
As a result of the positive DNA outcome Regina’s family has expanded to include formerly unknown aunts, uncles, cousins and most significantly, another sister and two more nieces. Regina, now a proud aunt of fifteen nieces and nephews, lives on the North Fork of Long Island with her two cocker spaniels, Maggie & Oscar, and her cat, Milo.
