5000a Series
5012 - Rights of Custodial and Non-Custodial Parents
The service unit will honor the parental rights of natural and adoptive parents unless those rights have been altered by a court.
The term "custodial parent" refers to a biological or adoptive parent to whom a court has given primary physical and legal custody of a child, and a person such as a caseworker or foster parent to whom a court has given legal custody of a child.
The service unit will not restrict the access of custodial and non-custodial parents to their students and their students' records, unless it has been provided a copy of a court order that limits those rights. If the service unit is provided such a court order, ESU 4 officials will follow the directives set forth in the order.
The service unit will provide the custodial parent with routine information about his or her child, including notification of conferences. The service unit will not provide the non-custodial parent with such information on a routine basis, but will provide it upon the non-custodial parent's request unless it has been denied by the courts.
A non-custodial parent who wishes to attend conferences regarding his or her child will be provided information about conference times so both parents may attend a single conference. The service unit is not required to schedule separate conferences if both parents have been previously informed of scheduled conference times.
If either or both parents' behavior is disruptive, staff members may terminate a conference and reschedule it with appropriate modifications or expectations.
Adopted on: June 8, 2009
Revised on: _________________________
Reviewed on: November 14, 2011