Which statement best describes a Parent?

• A. A guardian
• B. A non-offender
• C. The mother or father of a child, but does not include a parent whose parental rights have been terminated
• D. A social worker

Answer: (C)

In this context, a parent is the person who has the primary parental relationship to a child—the mother or father—provided their parental rights have not been terminated. This matters because legal responsibility and decision-making authority for a child come from that parent-child relationship; when parental rights are terminated, the individual is no longer considered a parent for these purposes. Guardians, non-offenders, or social workers may be involved in caring for or assisting the child, but they do not fit the definition of a parent as long as the parental rights phrase is intact.