To tow back, charge (4)
I believe the answer is:
draw
'to tow' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'back charge' is the wordplay.
'back' says the letters should be written backwards.
'charge' becomes 'ward' (both can mean a child in one's care).
'ward' in reverse letter order is 'DRAW'.
(Other definitions for draw that I've seen before include "No-winner result" , "Collect one's pay" , "Finish level" , "Snag" , "Make picture" .)