DNA Testing in Yonkers, New York
Health Street provides DNA tests and legal paternity testing in Yonkers, New York at 2 conveniently located testing laboratories. Call (914) 241-5338 or schedule online. We offer legal paternity tests, sibling studies, grandparent DNA tests, avuncular (aunt or uncle) testing, and postmortem DNA testing to determine if people are biologically related.
Set up DNA testing appointments online. Test results can be used in court for child support or to change a birth certificate; it can also be used for simple peace of mind. Appointments can be scheduled together or separately. Legal DNA tests are done by cheek swab at our testing centers. We can also extract DNA samples from hair follicles, fingernails, and other specimens.
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DNA Test - Yonkers, New York
Paternity Testing in Yonkers, New York
There are several types of DNA testing services that are offered at our Yonkers testing centers to validate close family relationships. The most commonly ordered DNA test is a legal paternity test to conclusively establish whether or not a man is the biological father of a child. Health Street's 21 marker DNA paternity testing is the state of the art. Our paternity test results are statistically conclusive at the rate of 99.9% or greater.
Other DNA Tests
Relationship Tests to validate grandparent to grandchild, siblings, half-siblings, aunts, and uncles:
DNA tests such as sibling or avuncular studies, can sometimes come back with a result of less than 95% certainty. This is normal, especially if only two parties participate in the test. Adding an additional close relative to the test helps us learn more about the family's DNA composition and typically leads to a more conclusive result.
Specimens we can test for DNA
The easiest and most reliable way to perform a genetic sample collection for a paternity test is by a swab of the inner cheeks. These skin cells, known as buccal cells, rub off easily onto cotton swabs and remain in place, to be extracted by our testing laboratories for analysis.
Other specimens, such as hair follicles, fingernails, and garments that might contain someone's DNA, can also undergo lab testing to see if there is a match. These non-standard DNA tests are done by registering online for an Alternative Specimen DNA Test (Nails, Teeth, Fabric). Once registered, you ship the DNA sample to our lab. We'll attempt to extract the DNA and compare it to a cheek swab of the other party.
Legal DNA Tests vs. "Peace of Mind" At-Home Tests
When deciding which type of DNA test is right for you, consider first what you might do with the results. In order for the results to hold up in court, the DNA specimen must be collected at a clinic using strict chain of custody procedures. The DNA testing technicians at our Yonkers test centers are trained to follow guidelines that ensure that the results can be used for legal purposes.
The results of our legal DNA tests can be used for any legal purpose:
Home tests offer more flexibility:
Home DNA tests are specimens containing DNA (or possible DNA) that are shipped to us for analysis. The results of these home tests cannot be used in court (since there is no way to prove whose specimens were actually sent). However, the tests are just as accurate and can provide peace of mind. At-home DNA tests also offer a lot more flexibility.
In addition to commonly mailed in DNA specimens like hair follicles, we can also extract DNA from other bodily fluids. We can even try and lift the DNA left on items like clothing, a toothbrush, or a straw. If we can get the DNA from the alternative item, we can then compare it to another person to see if they are related. Some examples include:
How to schedule a DNA Test in Yonkers NY
Scheduling a DNA test at one of our Yonkers clinics is simple and fast, and we often have appointments available in the same week, though it's always helpful to schedule in advance to make sure you get the time you want. We have clinics in Yonkers, plus many more throughout New York and across the United States. During registration, we'll show you the nearest locations so you can choose the one that's most convenient. You'll pick the times and days that you prefer.
You can set up separate appointments for each of the people being tested, either at the same location or at different locations. You'll get an email and text message with your appointment information. There is no fee if you need to change the time or location of a DNA test appointment at any time.
How long it takes to get results of a DNA test
Paternity tests conducted at one of our Yonkers facilities typically take about a week to come back. Other relationship tests, such as sibling studies, can take a few days longer to come back. When the results are ready, you are notified immediately via email. Then, the hard copies of the paperwork are sent afterward via regular mail.
The DNA test appointment - what to expect and what to bring
The appointment itself only takes about 15 minutes. The specimen collection process is a simple and painless cheek swab. No needles are used. When you're being tested at our Yonkers clinic, you'll be asked to provide fingerprints and to show photo identification. We'll also take pictures of the people being tested so that the final report will include legal assurances of who was actually tested.
For infants, hospital discharge papers qualify as identification. Otherwise, a birth certificate or social security card can be used as ID for a child. No other preparations are required for this appointment.
Does the mother need to be present at a paternity test?
If a man is considered the legal father of a child, then the mother does not have to be present or give consent for paternity testing. However, if he is not currently considered the legal father, then he cannot sign for the child. Therefore, the mother does need to be there. If neither parent is available, other legal guardians can bring the child so long as they have the right to make medical decisions on the child's behalf.
DNA testing if one party is not in Yonkers
The two parties testing (for example: father and child) do not have to be tested at the same time or even at the same location. We have many clinics across New York as well as nationwide, so we can test one party in Yonkers and the other party anywhere else in the USA. The specimens are then matched up in the lab for analysis.
Laboratory certifications
Health Street works strictly with AABB Certified labs for DNA testing. All specimens that are collected in Yonkers or elsewhere are shipped securely from our testing locations to a nationally certified laboratory.
Why Health Street
A Decade Plus of Experience
Health Street has provided DNA tests since 2010. We have provided DNA tests and paternity tests to thousands of people in Yonkers as well as communities all across the nation.
Commitment to Community
Health Street was founded in 2010 in the Bronx, just south of Yonkers, NY, and has long been committed to this community. Many of our staff have lived in Yonkers, and our Who's Your Daddy DNA Truck travels frequently to the area.Yonkers, New York - DNA Testing
DNA Test Reunites 92-Year-Old Mother with Son
In 1954, Janice Muscara gave up her firstborn son for adoption. At the time, she was living in Hawaii and the child's father was not in the picture. Eventually, she met her husband Joe, who was in the Navy, and moved to the Centerport, New York area.
The child, who was renamed Dennis by his adoptive parents, lives in Kahului, Maui with his three adult children and 12 grandchildren. Though he had begun looking for his birth mother about 25 years ago, at age 68, he never expected to find her. However, after taking a DNA test, he was surprised to find that he matched up with a man named Joe, who turned out to be his half-brother. He was even more shocked to learn that his mother, who was 91 at the time, was still alive. Eventually, Joe and his sister Kathy, who lives in Yonkers, arranged for Dennis to travel to New York so he and his mother could reunite. When recounting the experience, Dennis says, "It feels like a Hallmark movie. It feels satisfying. There is a happy ending."
Yonkers Rapper DMX's Paternity Drama
Iconic rapper and Yonkers native DMX lived an infamous life that included a stint in prison for tax evasion, a lifelong struggle with addiction, and fathering at least 14 children. Several months after his death from a cocaine-induced heart attack in 2021, a woman came forward alleging that she was his 15th child.
The settlement of his estimated $1 million estate was already facing challenges, with several of his other adult children engaging in a battle to preside over it. All of the children, including the 15th, were required to take a DNA paternity test to prove their relationship to the rapper before receiving their inheritance. Upon completion of the tests, each of his legal children will be entitled to an equal share of his estate.
The Importance of Paternity When Claiming an Inheritance
According to NY-based RK Law, which serves Yonkers and the surrounding area, there are three circumstances that allow an individual to receive an inheritance from their father:
1. The courts have legally determined the man to be the individual's father during his lifetime—for example, through an Order of Paternity or an Order of Filiation.
2. The father acknowledged paternity during his lifetime by signing an acceptable official document.
3. Paternity has been established by clear and convincing evidence, such as DNA test results or proof that the father "openly and notoriously" claimed the child as his own.
While courts generally will not exhume a body to retrieve DNA for a test, in some cases, descendants can use sibling DNA to prove a genetic relationship between themselves and the deceased.
Last Updated 8/25/2022
Locations
Clinic Hours for DNA Testing in Yonkers, New York
984 N Broadway Suite Ll-004 Yonkers, NY 10701Neighborhoods Served in Yonkers
Additional Services
Health Street offers a variety of other services, including: