Baby with absent father flags maybe (7)
I believe the answer is:
bunting
I believe this clue is a double definition.
'baby with absent father' is the first definition.
(ref to the nursery rhyme Bye, Baby Bunting)
'flags maybe' is the second definition.
(Other definitions for bunting that I've seen before include "Flags and decorations; bird" , "Flags; finch-like bird" , "Flags etc" , "One flies" , "Ortolan" .)