We have physical and legal custody of a child granted to us by a court in Virginia, but we currently live in California. We’re trying to enroll the child in an educational program, and the school is telling us that we’re not the educational rights holders. They said they need to contact the biological parents to get permission for us to enroll the child. Is this true?
That sounds confusing. In California, if you have legal custody, you usually have the right to make educational decisions for the child. Have you shown them the custody order?
It might depend on how the custody order is worded. If it specifically grants you educational rights, you should be able to enroll the child without needing permission from the biological parents.
You may want to consult with a family law attorney in California. They can give you specific advice based on your custody documents.
Schools can sometimes be really strict about these rules. If you have a court order, that should normally be enough for them to recognize your rights.
Make sure to get everything in writing from the school. If they continue to push back, you might need to escalate the issue.