Know Your rights as a parent

Except as permitted by law, a provider is legally required to maintain the confidentiality of care provided to a minor. The provider must inform the minor client of their right to privacy and confidentiality, as well as its limitations. 

Texas Family Code, Title 5, Subtitle A.

Confidential care does not apply when the law requires parental notification or consent, or when the law requires the provider to report health information, such as in cases of contagious disease or abuse. Privacy is defined as the ability of a person to maintain information in a protected way. Confidentiality in health care is the obligation of the health care provider not to disclose protected information. While confidentiality is implicit in maintaining a person’s privacy, confidentiality between provider and a person is not an absolute right. 

The HIPAA privacy rule requires a covered entity to treat a “personal representative” the same as the person with respect to uses and disclosures of the person’s protected health information. In most cases, parents are the personal representatives for their minor children, and they can exercise individual rights, such as access to medical records, on behalf of their minor children.

This chapter defines the rights and responsibilities of a parent toward their children. The law uses the neutral term "parent." It does not grant different rights or responsibilities to mothers or fathers.

This chapter outlines the rights and responsibilities of people who co-parent children.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge.

Schools do not have the right to withhold information about your child.