Adult Social Care Glossary, v 0.6

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

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.