united-kingdom legal-terms children parental-rights
Child Arrangements Order non-biological relative living arrangements
<p>I have been granted a UK Child Arrangements Order for a child who is not biologically related to live with me. By Virtue of this order (Childrens Act 1989, Section 12, Paragraph 2) I have been granted Parental Responsibility.</p>

<p>However I do not understand this aspect of the act:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Where the court makes a child arrangements order and a person who is
  not a parent or guardian of the child concerned is named in the order
  as a person with whom the child is to live, that person shall have
  parental responsibility for the child while the order remains in force
  <strong>so far as providing for the child to live with that person</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>What does the statement "so far as providing for the child to live with that person" mean in relation to parental responsibility?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>This means that you have the right to make arrangements to do things like arrange for the child to travel to your home (possibly as an unaccompanied minor on a plane or train or bus), to enroll the child in a school of your choice near your home and to sign permission slips on behalf of the child as necessary for school activities, to arrange to have the child's possessions moved to your home, to locate a local pediatrician and dentist for the child and consent to the child's medical treatment by those health professionals, etc.</p>

<p>Basically you have whatever parental authority you need to have that is incident to being able to do what is necessary to have the child live with you.</p>

<p>You might not have parental authority in matters that are not related to something necessary to having the child live with you, for example, consenting to the child's marriage under the age of majority, or to the child enrolling in military service where parental permission is required, or to representing the child as guardian in connection with an inheritance case.</p>
