Child custody (also known as legal custody, conservatorship, or allocation of parenting time and responsibilities) refers to the legal possession, rights, and responsibilities for a minor child by the child’s birth or adoptive parents—including the right to make health care, religious, cultural, and education decisions about the child's upbringing.

During separation, and following divorce, a child’s natural parents often share custody of the child (shared custody or joint custody)—unless one or both of the child’s natural or adoptive parents are deemed to be unfit or pose a risk to the health, safety, and well-being of the child (the child’s best interests). If one of the parents is deemed unfit, the other parent may be awarded sole custody of the child. In some cases a parent who is not allowed to have custody of a child may be given visitation rights—sometimes under the supervision of another adult (supervised visitation). Child custody laws are usually located in your state’s statutes governing family and domestic matters, and may be referred to as the Family Code.

Child custody is distinct from guardianship of a child, which usually involves a relative or an unrelated person temporarily agreeing to take responsibility for a child following the death of the child’s birth or adoptive parents, or their abandonment. And adoption is taking full and permanent responsibility for a child by someone other than the child’s birth parents.

In Iowa, child custody laws are designed to ensure the best interests of the child are prioritized during and after the parents' separation or divorce. Custody can be categorized as either legal custody, which involves the right to make important decisions about the child's upbringing, or physical custody, which pertains to where the child will live. Iowa courts generally favor joint legal custody, allowing both parents to share in decision-making responsibilities. However, physical custody arrangements can vary and may be joint or sole, depending on what the court deems best for the child. If one parent is considered unfit or poses a risk to the child's well-being, the other parent may be granted sole custody. Visitation rights may be awarded to the non-custodial parent, and in some cases, these visitations may be supervised. The specifics of child custody are outlined in Iowa's statutes governing family and domestic matters. It's important to note that child custody is different from guardianship, which is a temporary arrangement typically made when the child's parents are deceased or have abandoned the child, and from adoption, which is a permanent legal transfer of all parental rights to another individual.