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To better understand what is involved in step parent adoption, it is important to understand what is meant by parental responsibility (PR).

What is PR?

PR gives a person the rights and ability to have a say in a child's education, health and welfare.

Who has PR?

A mother automatically has PR and a range of other circumstances apply to fathers.  

It is possible for more than one person to have PR (for example if grandparents become guardians).

Benefits of PR

PR allows that person to make decisions about the child and means that they will be kept informed about anything affecting the child.

In real terms, PR means a person is likely to have the right or ability to:

• Receive educational reports and provide consent to school trips
• Give consent to treatments for, and receive medical reports about the child
• Sign official papers, e.g. passport applications
• Prevent a parent from removing a child from the UK
• Object to a proposed change of name
• Object to a child being accommodated by a local authority
• Lawfully remove them from local authority care
• Be regarded as a parent for the purpose of any adoption proceedings

Getting PR

A parent does not always need to go to Court to get parental responsibility.  

Parental responsibility can be acquired if:

• A person is appointed as a child’s guardian by a court or as the result of a Will (if both parents die)
• If a residence order is granted
• If a parental responsibility order is granted
• If a parental responsibility agreement is made

Fathers should see our special page information for birth fathers for more information.

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