parent

The lawful father or mother of a person. In common and ordinary usage the word comprehends much more than mere fact of who was responsible for child's conception and birth and is commonly understood to describe and refer to person or persons who share mutual love and affection with a child and who supply child support and maintenance, instruction, discipline and guidance. Solberg v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 50 Wis.2d 746, 185 N.W.2d 319, 323.

By statute, "parent" has been defined to include

(1) either the natural father or the natural mother of a child born of their valid marriage to each other, if no subsequent judicial decree has divested one or both of them of their statutory coguardianship as created by their marriage;

(2) either the adoptive father or the adoptive mother of a child jointly adopted by them, if no subsequent judicial decree has divested one or both of them of their statutory coguardianship as created by the adoption;

(3) the natural mother of an illegitimate child, if her position as sole guardian of such a child has not been divested by a subsequent judicial decree;

(4) a child's putative blood parent who has expressly acknowledged paternity and contributed meaningfully to the child's support;

(5) any individual or agency whose status as guardian of the person of the child has been established by judicial decree.

Includes any person entitled to take, or who would be entitled to take if the child died without a will, as a parent under the Uniform Probate Code by intestate succession from the child whose relationship is in question and excludes any person who is only a stepparent, foster parent, or grandparent. Uniform Probate Code, No. 1-201(28).

See also adoption

- loco parentis

- parens patriae

- surrogate parent