| Persons Before
the Court |
| Term |
Definition |
Citation |
| Adult |
Person
age 18 or older |
C.R.S. § 19-1-103(8)(a) |
| Child |
Person
under age 18 |
C.R.S. § 19-1-103(18) |
| Indian
Child |
Any
unmarried person under age 18 who is a member of an Indian tribe or is
an Alaskan native or eligible for tribal membership if a parent is a
member |
25
U.S.C.A. § 1903(4) |
| Parent |
Child’s
birth parent or adoptive parent |
C.R.S. § 19-1-103(82)(a) |
| Parent
of Indian Child |
Birth
parent or adoptive Indian parent of Indian child excluding unmarried
fathers who have not acknowledged or established paternity |
25
U.S.C.A. § 1903(9) |
| Guardian |
Person
vested by court with duty and authority to make major decisions
affecting the child |
C.R.S. § 19-1-103(60) |
| Legal
Custodian |
Person
vested by court with right of care, custody and control of the child
and duty to provide food, shelter, clothing, medical care, education
and discipline |
C.R.S. § 19-1-103(73)(a) |
| Custodian |
Person
who has been providing shelter, food, clothing and other care for the
child as a parent would, whether or not by court order |
C.R.S. § 19-1-103(35) |
| Indian
Custodian |
Any
Indian person with legal custody of an Indian child under tribal law or
custom, under state law or by agreement of the parents |
25
U.S.C.A. § 1903(6) |
| Responsible
Person |
Child’s
parent, guardian or legal custodian, or anyone responsible for the
child’s health and welfare |
C.R.S. § 19-1-103(94) |
| Stepparent |
Person
married to child’s parent who has not adopted the child |
C.R.S. § 19-1-103(104) |
| Spousal
Equivalent |
Person
in a family-type living arrangement with a parent who would be a
stepparent if married to the parent |
C.R.S. § 19-1-103(101) |
| Special
Respondent |
A
person who resides with the child, has assumed a special parenting role
toward the child, has participated in whole or part in child’s abuse or
neglect or maintains a significant relationship with the child |
C.R.S. § 19-1-103(100)
C.R.S. § 19-3-502(6) |
| Grandparent |
Parent
of child’s father or mother who is related to the child by blood,
adoption or marriage |
C.R.S. § 19-1-103(56)(a) |