Overview of guardianship

What is guardianship?

Care of Children Act 2004, s 15

Being a guardian of a child means having all duties, powers, rights and responsibilities that a parent has in bringing up the child.

What are a guardian’s responsibilities?

Care of Children Act 2004, s 16

A guardian’s responsibilities include:

• providing day-to-day care for the child
• contributing to the child’s intellectual, emotional, physical, social, cultural and other personal development
• helping to make, or helping the child to make, the important decisions in a child’s life. These include decisions about:
  • the child’s name (and any changes to it)
  • where and with whom the child lives
  • medical treatment for the child
  • where and how the child will be educated
  • the child’s culture, language, and religion.