This I AM L.I.P education and child matters website has been written to help you navigate every nook and cranny of child issues. Our Help Guides will take you through detail after detail of many child matters that may come your way. 

However, before you work your way through Help Guides 2 – 18, please read Help Guide 1.  Help Guide 1 will give you a basic understanding of what the UK law says about a child and their parent’s individual rights and how a child’s rights change throughout the period they are considered a child.

Once you know these facts you will understand your responsibility, you can make decisions, and you and your child will have a better understanding between yourselves how to progress forward in a constructive manner.

BOX 1 – WHAT IS LEGAL PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY? – This write up will help you understand what exactly is the legal definition of parental responsibility, who has automatic parental responsibility over a child, who can acquire it and how they can acquire it. 

BOX 2 – WHAT IS LEGAL CONTACT WITH REGARDS TO A CHILD? – This webpage will explain to you what contact means between a parent and child, the types of contact, and that a resident parent should encourage contact with a non resident parent.

BOX 3 – BETWEEN WHICH AGES IS A PERSON LEGALLY CONSIDERED A CHILD – Here, we will explain between which ages is an individual considered a child according to UK law.

BOX 4 – LEGAL PERMISSIONS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES GIVEN TO A CHILD ACCORDING TO AGE – As a child grows through the various stages of childhood and adolescence, the law will allow them to do more things even though the law still considers them a child. This write up will go through what the law will allow children of different ages to do. 

BOX 5 – THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF A CHILD (UNCRC) – Here we discuss the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child which is an international human rights agreement of 54 articles that details the cultural, social, civil, political, and economic rights of a child. These rights apply to all UK children.

BOX 6 – PARENTS AND THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF A CHILD (UNCRC) – Here we discuss the fact that the United Nations views parents, families, and carers central to making sure the 54 articles of the UNCRC are implemented to ensure a child grows up safe, happy and healthy.

BOX 7 – THE HAGUE CONVENTION FOR CHILDREN ON THE CIVIL ASPECTS ON INTERNATIONAL CHILD ABDUCTION – Here we discuss the 1980 (25th October 1980) Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction about the return of abducted and wrongfully removed children to the country where they were habitually resident or abducted from.  

BOX 8 – THE HAGUE CONVENTION ON PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND CO-OPERATION IN RESPECT OF INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION – Here we discuss this treaty and its effect on intercountry adoption.