State Legislation: Definitions of "Parent," and related variations, in Child Welfare

Properly defining in statute the relationship between a “legal” parent and child is important because it preserves and establishes familial relations. The caretaking relationship between an adult and child is becoming increasingly important for state governments to understand and appropriately define, especially when a child is abused or neglected.

Almost every state has some statutory provision that defines parent, mother, father, or related variations, such as caregiver, parent-child relationship, relative, putative father, etc. At least eight states include definitions for "relative" in their statute, including a very broad definition for relative in California and Wisconsin and at least twenty-four states include some definition for the term father and its related variations.

Following is a compilation of state statutes that include the definition of parent, and the related variations, in child welfare. These definitions may exist in a state's Child Welfare Code, Family Code, Domestic Relations Code, etc. 

View the summary of state legislation that includes the definition of parent and the related variations in child welfare.

For more information, please contact Kelly Crane at 303.856.1372

For more information and materials on father engagement in child welfare cases, visit the website for the National Quality Improvement Center on Non-Resident Fathers and the Child Welfare System.