Parental Responsibility (PR) is defined in the Children Act 1989 (CA 89) as all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authorities which by law a parent of a child has in relation to the child and the child’s property.
People with PR can make or be involved in the important decisions necessary in a child’s life including issues relating to:
• where a child should live;
• education (for example, where a child should go to school and the right to receive school reports);
• health and medical treatment (for example, whether a child should receive medical treatment or inoculations);
• changing a child’s name;
• religion (for example, what religion, if any, a child should follow or receive instruction in); and,
• going abroad, either permanently or on holiday (you may be committing an offence if you do not seek consent from everyone with PR before taking a child abroad. See Children and the law: holidays and relocation and Children and the law: child abduction for more information.