Your duties and rights as a parent (2024)

Children have the right to be safe, to be treated with affection, to be educated, to have medical care and to be protected against cruelty and abuse. Parents have the duty to protect their children’s rights until they are old enough to make their own way in the world.

The authority to make decisions concerning and affecting the care, welfare and proper development of the child is known as ‘parental responsibility’.

Family law in Australia defines the responsibilities that parents have in relation to bringing up their children. These include:

  • to protect your child from harm
  • to provide your child with food, clothing and a place to live
  • to financially support your child
  • to provide safety, supervision and control
  • to provide medical care
  • to provide an education.

Who has parental responsibility?

The Family Law Act states that birth parents, adoptive parents, those who become parents through artificial conception or surrogacy and those who satisfy presumptions of parentage are the only people to possess 'innate parental responsibility', which means they are legally authorised to exercise parental responsibility without a court order.

Although other adults, such as step-parents, may be involved in the care and support of a child, only these parents, or those recognised as parents by the court, have the ultimate authority for making decisions about a child.

Your obligations continue until your child has turned 18 and don’t end with divorce or separation. The government and the court encourage both parents to share in the exercise of their parental responsibility for a child, even in the case of separation.

Your rights as a parent

As a parent you also have rights.

The law allows parents to bring up their children according to their own values and beliefs. Decisions such as religion, education, discipline, medical treatment and where the child lives will not be interfered with unless there are good reasons or the child’s well-being is at risk - for example, if there is abuse, if the child is not receiving education or necessary medical treatments.

Working parents have the right to child-care services and to access information on payments and services for which they are eligible.

However, the concept of parents’ rights does not include the right to have custody or contact with your children, for example after separation. In situations where parental responsibility may be altered, the law requires the best interest of the child to be the paramount consideration.

Your duties and rights as a parent (2024)

FAQs

Your duties and rights as a parent? ›

A parent in the United States must meet their child's basic needs. This means that they give their child medical care, housing, education, and food. In addition, parents are expected to meet a child's emotional and physical needs. They are responsible for protecting their child from harm and abuse.

What is your duty as a parent? ›

to protect your child from harm. to provide your child with food, clothing and a place to live. to financially support your child. to provide safety, supervision and control.

What are the roles responsibilities and rights of parents? ›

Financially, parents must provide essential support for their children's basic needs like food, clothing, shelter, and education. Parental rights are also accompanied by responsibilities like physical and emotional care, maintaining health and safety, offering education opportunities, instilling values, and discipline.

What are our duties to our parent? ›

There are many ways to show your parents love, starting with doing things they love, giving special gifts on their happy day, or growing up to be a devoted child to your parents. In addition to showing affection, children must also respect their parents by speaking politely and taking care of their feelings.

What are the rights of parents? ›

Parental rights, in a legal sense, are the parents' rights to make decisions for their child, including decisions surrounding education, religion, and medical care. Parental rights also include the right to pass property to a child through inheritance and the right to hold physical custody of a child.

What are the 5 responsibilities of a mother? ›

To care as a mother is to cook good food, create a clean home, provide clean clothing, read to your children, teach them, include them in family life, encourage, teach and play.

What is one duty of a mother? ›

Psychologist John Bowlby observed that mothers hold the responsibility for providing their children with anything that is necessary to be able to survive biologically, especially nutrition, clothing, a place to live, and professional medical care.

What are the roles rights and responsibilities? ›

A right is a choice to make your own opinion and entitlement to things such as education, religion and freedom of speech. Responsibilities are duties or something an individual should do such as following the law and rules. In this sense, classroom roles and responsibilities go hand in hand with each other.

What are the 7 roles of a father? ›

Stephen Kendrick outlines seven roles that a father plays in the life of his family: provider, protector, leader, teacher, helper, encourager, and friend. When you think about your own father, which of these qualities did he do well?

What are the seven roles of parents? ›

The seven roles that parents play include: the parent as nurture, in adult relationships, as an individual, as a worker, as a consumer, as a community member, and as an educator. Parents have all these roles which make their life more difficult, but a teacher could make it easier.

What are your duties towards your family? ›

Our responsibility towards family encompasses emotional support, financial assistance, caregiving, and quality time spent together. Whether it's caring for aging parents, supporting siblings, or nurturing our own children, our family responsibilities define the depth of our love and commitment.

What is one duty of a mother in the family? ›

A good mother should always be there to offer guidance, support and be a good listener. Our role is to prepare our children to be independent law abiding citizens, teach them right from wrong, to be kind, caring and considerate.

What are the duties for which most parents or guardians feel responsible? ›

Parental responsibilities include:
  • Providing a safe living environment.
  • Protecting the children from abuse and other dangers.
  • Paying child support as ordered.
  • Fulfilling the children's basic needs (food, water, shelter)
  • Disciplining the children.
  • Investing in the children's education.
  • Knowing the children's interests.

Who is behind parental rights? ›

Focusing on school literature with racial or sexual content, parental control over curriculum, and LGBT education, possible candidates like Glenn Youngkin, Ron DeSantis, and Donald Trump have endorsed the goals of the parental rights movement.

Why do parents want to protect their children? ›

Much of it is just instinct. Parents have protective instincts that work well to keep their children healthy and happy. This has been seen by researchers in both humans and animals. This protective instinct may function, to some degree, within all of society.

What is my duty towards my family? ›

Our responsibility towards family encompasses emotional support, financial assistance, caregiving, and quality time spent together. Whether it's caring for aging parents, supporting siblings, or nurturing our own children, our family responsibilities define the depth of our love and commitment.

Do I have a duty to my parents? ›

Well, in effect, 28 states here in the country have laws governing the responsibility that adult children have for their parents' care, and Ohio, and Kentucky, and Indiana. All three are those kind of states. Now, you should note that all 50 states have laws obligating adults to care for their children.

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