2.Section 576 Education Act 1996: Definition of a Parent
- Under section 576 of The Education Act 1996, a parent is defined as follows:
- All natural parents whether they are married or not
- Any person who although they are not a natural parent, has care of a child or young person – having care of a child or young person means that a person with whom the child lives and who looks after the child, irrespective of what their relationship is with the child, is considered to be a parent in education law.
- Throughout this document, references to ‘parent’ mean each and every parent falling within the definition, whether acting jointly or separately, and should not be taken to mean that provisions only apply to ‘parent’ in the singular.