What enforcement actions can be taken pursuant to the child-custody contract?
- Under the contract parents/guardians have the right to restrict the child's behavior and dealings with others by means consistent with the child's vital interests; moreover, they may take legal action against third parties who might interfere with the custody arrangement, such as child abusers or drug dealers.
- Parents/guardians also have the enforceable obligation to provide for basic needs and to take reasonable measures to ensure the child's safety. In some cases, parents may become physically or psychologically incapable of rendering proper support; in other cases a particular child may require specialized care that cannot be provided by the parents. In all such exceptional cases the parents will need to transfer some or all of their responsibility to a guardian or an institution.
- Parents/guardians have full responsibility for any destructive acts committed by minors under their care, except insofar as older minors may be able to shoulder such responsibility themselves.