As used in sections
45a-603 to
45a-622, inclusive:
(1) “Mother” means a woman who is a parent as defined in section 46b-451;
(2) “Father” means a man who is a parent as defined in section 46b-451;
(3) “Parent” has the same meaning as provided in section 46b-451;
(4) “Minor” or “minor child” means a person under the age of eighteen;
(5) “Guardianship” means guardianship of the person of a minor, and includes: (A) The obligation of care and control; (B) the authority to make major decisions affecting the minor's education and welfare, including, but not limited to, consent determinations regarding marriage, enlistment in the armed forces and major medical, psychiatric or surgical treatment; and (C) upon the death of the minor, the authority to make decisions concerning funeral arrangements and the disposition of the body of the minor;
(6) “Guardian” means a person who has the authority and obligations of “guardianship”, as defined in subdivision (5) of this section;
(7) “Termination of parental rights” means the complete severance by court order of the legal relationship, with all its rights and responsibilities, between the child and the child's parent or parents so that the child is free for adoption, except that it shall not affect the right of inheritance of the child or the religious affiliation of the child;
(8) “Permanent guardianship” means a guardianship, as defined in subdivision (5) of this section, that is intended to endure until the minor reaches the age of majority without termination of the parental rights of the minor's parents; and
(9) “Permanent guardian” means a person who has the authority and obligations of a permanent guardianship, as defined in subdivision (8) of this section.
(P.A. 79-460, S. 1; P.A. 81-472, S. 100, 159; P.A. 96-130, S. 1; P.A. 99-84, S. 4; P.A. 00-5; 00-157, S. 7, 8; 00-196, S. 31; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1, S. 274; P.A. 21-15, S. 105; P.A. 22-37, S. 18.)
History: P.A. 81-472 made technical changes; Sec. 45-42a transferred to Sec. 45a-604 in 1991; P.A. 96-130 added Subdiv. (7) defining “termination of parental rights”; P.A. 99-84 amended definition of “father” in Subdiv. (2) to include “a man who, in accordance with section 46b-172, executes a binding acknowledgment of paternity”; P.A. 00-5 added Subdiv. (5)(C) in definition of “guardianship” re authority, upon the death of minor, to make decisions concerning funeral arrangements and disposition of minor's body; P.A. 00-157 amended Subdiv. (5)(B) to add education, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 00-196 made technical changes in Subdiv. (1); June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1 made definitions applicable to Sec. 45a-616a, made technical changes in Subdiv. (6) and added Subdiv. (8) defining “permanent guardianship” and Subdiv. (9) defining “permanent guardian”; P.A. 21-15 redefined “mother” in Subdiv. (1), “father” in Subdiv. (2), and “parent” in Subdiv. (3), effective January 1, 2022; P.A. 22-37 made a technical change in Subdiv. (2).
Annotations to former section 45-42a:
Cited. 193 C. 393.
Cited. 6 CA 707.
Annotations to present section:
Cited. 231 C. 1.
Taken together, under Subdiv. (5) and Secs. 45a-605(a) and 45a-606, authority to make major decisions affecting child's welfare intended to effectuate child's best interest includes authority to make legal decisions on behalf of the minor and would include, in this case, authority to assert child's legal rights in a court of law. 76 CA 693.
Cited. 44 CS 169.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
23
cases (
4 in the last 5 years), 1994–2025 · leading case:
In Re Henrry P. B.-P., 173 A.3d 928 (Conn. 2017).
In Re Henrry P. B.-P., 173 A.3d 928 (Conn. 2017).
· cites it 9× “) As the Appellate Court observed, the text of § 45a-608n (b) seemingly applies only to persons under the age of eighteen, insofar as it speaks to various court actions, such as the removal or appointment of guardians, or termination of parental *937 rights, with respect to the…”
In Re Joseph W., Jr., 997 A.2d 512 (Conn. App. Ct. 2010).
· cites it 14× “" General Statutes § 45a-604 provides the applicable definitions used in General Statutes §§ 45a-603 to 45a-622.”
In re Adelina A., 148 A.3d 621 (Conn. App. Ct. 2016).
· cites it 4× “) General Statutes § 45a-604 (5) and (6). 13 " 'Permanent guardianship' means a guardianship .”
In re Elianah T.-T., 165 A.3d 1236 (Conn. 2017).
· cites it 4× “The commissioner asserts that this order includes the rights and responsibilities of a "guardian" as defined by General Statutes § 17a-1 (12) (B), including the "authority to make major decisions affecting the child's or youth's welfare, including, but not limited to, consent…”
Favrow v. Vargas, 647 A.2d 731 (Conn. 1994).
· cites it 4× “General Statutes § 45a-604 (6) defines “Guardian” as “one who has the authority and obligations of ‘guardianship’ defined in subdivision (5) of this section.”
Shakir v. Derby Police Dep't, 284 F. Supp. 3d 165 (D. Conn. 2018).
· cites it 4× “" Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-606 (2017). The rights of guardianship include "the obligation of care and control" and "the authority to make major decisions affecting the minor's education and welfare.”
In re Michelle G., 727 A.2d 226 (Conn. App. Ct. 1999).
· cites it 6× “” General Statutes § 45a-604 (3) defines “parent” as “a mother .”
Williams v. Ragaglia, 802 A.2d 778 (Conn. 2002).
· cites it 2× “See also General Statutes § 45a-604 (5) (guardian defined for purposes of guardians of person of minor under Probate Court procedure).”
In re Tayquon H., 821 A.2d 796 (Conn. App. Ct. 2003).
· cites it 3× “General Statutes § 45a-604 (5) enumerates the rights and responsibilities of a guardian of a minor, including: “(A) [t]he obligation of [the] care and control [of the minor]; (B) the authority to make major decisions affecting the minor’s education and welfare, including, but…”
In re Henrry P. B.-P., 156 A.3d 673 (Conn. App. Ct. 2017).
· cites it 6× “Pursuant to General Statutes § 45a-604 (5), "guardianship" means guardianship of the person of a minor.”
State v. Springmann, 794 A.2d 1071 (Conn. App. Ct. 2002).
“to 1997) § 45a-604 (5) provides that “ ‘[guardianship’ means guardianship of the person of a minor, and includes: (A) The obligation of care and control; and (B) the authority to make major decisions affecting the minor’s education and welfare, including, but not limited to,…”
Garrett's Appeal From Prob., 677 A.2d 1000 (Conn. Super. Ct. 1994).
· cites it 4× “For purposes of chapter 802h of the General Statutes, the statutory scheme implicated in these proceedings, “ ‘[guardianship’ means guardianship of the person of a minor, and includes: (A) The obligation of care and control; and (B) the authority to make major decisions…”
— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-604(5) — 2 cases
Shakir v. Derby Police Dep't, 284 F. Supp. 3d 165 (D. Conn. 2018).
“" Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-606 (2017). The rights of guardianship include "the obligation of care and control" and "the authority to make major decisions affecting the minor's education and welfare.”
In Re Joseph W., Jr., 997 A.2d 512 (Conn. App. Ct. 2010).
“" General Statutes § 45a-604 provides the applicable definitions used in General Statutes §§ 45a-603 to 45a-622.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.