Reasonable and Prudent Parenting Standard

​What is the reasonable and prudent parenting standard?
Caregivers shall use the “reasonable and prudent parenting standard” when determining whether to allow a child in their care to participate in extracurricular, enrichment, cultural and social activities. It is characterized by careful and sensible parental decisions that maintain the child’s health, safety and best interests while at the same time supporting the child’s emotional and developmental growth. In short, foster parents may make decisions for youth in their care according to the standard that any “reasonable and prudent parent” would apply for their own child.

When using the reasonable and prudent parenting standard, each caregiver should consider the following:

• The youth’s age, maturity and developmental level.
• The best interest of the child based on information known.
• If the activity will be a family-like living experience for the child
• Whether or not this activity will encourage the child’s emotional and developmental growth.
• The youth’s behavioral history.
• Potential risk factors of participating in the activity.