Growing up with and without a birth certificate

Birth registration is an integral part of civil administration in Indonesia. However, In scholarly work, the experiences of individuals regarding birth registration and the challenges of obtaining it have received relatively little attention, particularly in relation to urban migrant parents and children living in conditions of poverty. This is important because the number of undocumented children is likely to increase over time due to the growing population moving from rural areas to urban cities without completing civil procedures for their movement across autonomous regions. This study employed an ethnographic approach to explore the everyday experiences of urban migrant families, including parents and children, concerning birth registration. Data were gathered through observation, informal interviews, participation in the respondents' routines, and by taking a few photographs. This study highlights how the problematic legal status of parents before migration and limited economic resources after relocating complicate the process of registering birth certificates. As children reach school age, the need to register becomes more significant. However, this urgency diminishes when children continue to stay out of school and contribute financially to their families by working at the market. The finding reveals that birth registration ensures access to education, but many other fundamental factors are required to complete it. This study also demonstrates how children and youth navigate their lives based on legal identity, which depends on the policies and actions set by adults. Accordingly, this study advocates for a more practicable approach to birth registration, considering substantial elements within families as executors and beneficiaries of social policy, and focusing on the continuous outcomes of formalization.