OWPS Parental Rights and Responsibilities Form

What is parental responsibility?

All mothers and most fathers have legal rights and responsibilities as a parent-known as 'parental responsibility'. If you have parental responsibility, your most important roles are to:

• Provide a home for the child
• Protect and maintain the child

If you have parental responsibility for a child you don't live with, you don't necessarily have a right to contact with them-but they other parent still need to keep yo updated about their well-being and progress. 

You're also responsible for:

• Disciplining the child
• Choosing and providing for the child's education
• Agreeing to the child's medical treatment
• Naming the child and agreeing to any change of name
• Looking after the child's property

Parents have to ensure that their child is supported financially, whether they have parental responsibility or not.