Although in some instances foster parents and foster care agencies have the legal responsibility to nurture a minor, they are not entitled to the full status of parent. A child is the issue or offspring of his parents. A posthumous child is one conceived prior to, and born after, the death of his father.
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Parent+and+Child
Parental obligations typically end when a child reaches the age of majority, which is 18 years old in most states. However, you may wish to check your state's legal ages laws to see if they vary from this standard. Parents who have children with disabilities may have their parental obligations last beyond the age of majority.
http://family.findlaw.com/emancipation-of-minors/how-long-do-parents-legal-obligations-to-their-children-continue.html
“There is a major change legally once a child is of legal age,” Luftman says. “In most states, if a minor is charged with a juvenile offense, a parent or legal guardian is required to attend court hearings with their child. Once your child has turned 18, she will be charged as an adult for even minor offenses. Luftman adds, “The parent is no longer required to be there, and they often do not know their child has been charged.
http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/981667/what-to-know-when-your-child-turns-18
Nevertheless the idea of children as rights holders has been subject to different kinds of philosophical criticism At the same time there has been philosophical consideration of what kinds of rights children have if they do have any rights at all.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rights-children/
This of course does not mean that there may not be some kinds of duties which do not correlate with any rights. Indeed some critics of children's rights will concede that adults have duties to protect important interests of children but deny that these interests correlate with rights held by children.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rights-children/
A parent's support obligation does not end merely because the parent is not living with the child. Upon divorce or legal separation, child support agreements arrange for the child's continued support. An identified father must aid in the support of his illegitimate child, even if they have never lived together.
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Parent+and+Child
Parents usually have a legal right to custody of their own offspring. The Supreme Court has established that the right to Child Custody by a parent is constitutionally protected. The general presumption of the courts is that a child's welfare is protected best when the natural ties of mother and father are preserved.
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Parent+and+Child
Download article as a PDF. While parents have the right to make important decisions about their children's lives, they also have certain legal duties. Parents are legally required to support their minor children. Supporting your kids includes providing food, clothing, shelter, and basic care.
http://family.findlaw.com/emancipation-of-minors/how-long-do-parents-legal-obligations-to-their-children-continue.html
In the eyes of the law, things change once your child is of legal age. Suddenly parents are left out of decisions and parts of their child’s life even though they may still be supporting him. When your child turns 18, he doesn’t magically assume the role of adult in your eyes.
http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/981667/what-to-know-when-your-child-turns-18
There are those who claim that children should have all the rights that adults presently have. These are called ‘liberationists’ and include Holt, Farson and Cohen (Farson 1974; Holt 1975; Cohen 1980). We can distinguish real from rhetorical liberationists.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rights-children/
when do children legally have a say
A children has a say in 18 years.