Being a teen parent can be confusing. You're not quite an adult, but not quite a teen.
So, what rights and responsibilities do you have when it comes to raising your children?
You have the right to:
Spend time with your child
- Both you and your partner have the right to parent your child. That means either of you, can go to court to apply for permanent custody if you need to. The court doesn't look at whether you're the mother or the father, it looks at how well you're going to be able to take care of your child.
- So, what happens if you go to court and your partner gets custody of your child? You still have the right to regular visits with your child unless the court decides that would harm your child.
- What if your partner has custody and wants to move to a different state with your child? You have to say that it's ok for them to move before they can do it.
Agree to medical care for your child
- In South Carolina, you can make decisions about your child's health. That means you don't need your parents' permission to bring your child to the doctor or to give the doctor permission to give your child care.
It's your job to:
You have a lot of rights when it comes to your child. But what do you have to do to keep those rights?
Support your child
- You'll have to pay child support to help give your child everything he or she needs. The amount will be based on how much money you make, but no one can make you leave school to make more money for child support.