Parental Responsibility
> All married parents and unmarried mothers (but not unmarried fathers) have parental responsibility for their children. This means that they are responsible for looking after their children and meeting their needs.
If you are in care, this responsibility is divided between your parent(s) and the local authority. Parental responsibility ends when you reach 18.
What parents must do for their Children:
Parents must:
> Provide a home and care for their children until they are 18. But once you reach 16 you can usually leave home without permission (see the Housing chapter for info on leaving home).
> Provide discipline for their children – and this does include smacking. But this sort of punishment must be moderate and reasonable; if the authorities feel that unnecessary force is being used by parents, then the child’s name may be placed on a child protection register, or he/she may even be taken into care. The parents may also be taken to court.
> Make sure their children receive full time education until they are 16.
> Give consent to any medical treatment for their children under the age of 16 (unless it is a medical emergency).
Step parents:
> Step parents do not have parental responsibility in law for their children.
> They may help with day to day decisions, but important decisions should be taken by the child’s birth parents – or only the mother if they were not married.
> A step parent may apply for parental responsibility to the courts, or they may apply, with the birth parent, to adopt the child.
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