Parental responsibility is defined in the Children Act 1989 as all the rights, duties, powers, responsibility and authority a parent has for a child or young person and their property. As children grow older, they assume greater responsibility for themselves. Parents never lose responsibility for their child; they may share it with the Social Services Department when the child is subject to a Care Order. Foster carers do not have parental responsibility for their foster child, but may be given delegated responsibility.
If a child is adopted parental responsibility transfers from the birth parent and the local authority to the new adoptive parents at the point an Adoption Order is made by the court.
