Parental rights describe the authority parents hold to make decisions about how their children are raised, schooled, and cared for. U.S. courts have recognized this authority as a protected liberty interest, while also holding that it is not absolute and can be balanced against a child's welfare and the state's interests. In education policy, "parental rights" is invoked both to expand parental control over curriculum and school records and, by critics, as a label for measures that limit what schools can do without parental approval.