- The child’s parent, guardian or special guardian.
- The child’s step-parent or the person who has parental responsibility for the child (via court order)
- A person who is already names on the child arrangements order (if one is already in place)
- A person where the child has been treated as a member of the family (who is married or in a civil partnership)
- A person who the child has lived with for 3 years or more (not necessarily consecutively)
- A person who has the consent of the people in an existing child arrangements order
- A person who has the consent of the local authority where the child is in local authority care
- A person who has the consent of each person(s) with parental responsibility for the child
- A person named in an existing child arrangements order who has parental responsibility for the child.
- A local authority foster parent who has had the child living with them for one year immediately before the application is made.
- A child’s relative who has had the child living with them for one year immediately before the application is made.
Anyone wishing to apply for a child arrangement order who does not fall into any of the categories above can apply to the court.
