Parenting Orders

• Service Information
• Fees
• Frequently Asked Questions

A Parenting Order is an order under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The Parenting Order was designed primarily to help and support parents when their children get into trouble.

A court may make an Order on a parent or Guardian of:

• A juvenile (10 to 16 year old) who is convicted of an offence.
• A child of 10 and over whom is made subject of an anti-social behaviour Order or a Sex Offender Order, and a child under 10 whom is made subject to a Child Safety Order.

The court will also be able to impose this order when someone has been convicted of failing to ensure their child attends school regularly.

Any parent or carer that a young person lives with, this may include a stepparent, can be given an Order. A parent, who is not living with the young person, but has regular contact, may be issued with an order separately.

If you are given a Parenting Order, you may be required to attend counselling or guidance sessions were you will receive help on how to deal with the young person, e.g, parenting skills, managing the young person's behaviour, how to respond more effectively to challenging adolescent demands, ensuring your child is home during set hours, and ensuring they attend school regularly.

The Order will be for no longer than three months. The Court may impose a second element, which would require you to exercise control over your child's behaviour. This may last twelve months.

Fees

If convicted for failure to keep within the terms of the order, you could be liable for a fine up to £1000.