Potentially difficult and dangerous situations can arise when an early childhood program is faced with parental rights and child custody issues. This is particularly true when the parents are engaged in a fight. Nothing is as visceral as the fight over a child, and even the best of people can become deceitful or quite villainous. School owners never want their school to be forced into making difficult judgment calls. They should know what they are dealing with and protect themselves with a paper trail of authorizations and court orders that cover them in all respects.