There are many reasons people find they need to leave their minor children in someone else’s care temporarily. Some are happy occasions; some are not. Maybe you and your spouse are taking a second honeymoon to Hawaii and leaving your children with their grandparents. Perhaps you are a single parent and will be hospitalized for an extended period, so your sister will be taking your children in. Whatever the reason, the reality is that anything can happen while your children are in someone else’s care, and you want their caregiver to have the legal right to make decisions for them in your absence. Having a Guardian Appointment Form ready and available for the short term times that it may be necessary can be helpful for you and your children.

With our free, downloadable Short-Term Guardian Appointment Form for a Minor Child and Durable Healthcare Power of Attorney Form, you can give your caregiver legal rights to make decisions regarding the following:

• Medical care. Your caregiver will have the authority to make all emergency and non-emergency decisions regarding your child’s healthcare in your absence. This includes medical, eye care, dental care, and psychiatric treatment.
• Education. In your absence, your caregiver will be legally authorized to sign permission slips for field trips and extracurricular activities, authorize school enrollment, attend conferences, and receive confidential information regarding attendance and grade reports.
• Travel. Within the radius stipulated by you on the document or with no limitations, your caregiver will be able to travel with your children.
• General. In addition to these specific rights, there is also a clause within the document that allows for your caregiver to perform all matters and execute all documents regarding your children.

Our Guardian Appointment Form allows you to modify the agreement in any way you see fit, limiting the power you give to your caregiver. Once the document is complete, it can also serve as official nomination of a guardian for you children if something should happen to you unexpectedly. The document will require a witness and notarization, but other than that, you will be good to go.

We encourage you to download and use our Short-Term Guardian Appointment Form absolutely free of charge. If you have any questions about the document or the process of appointing a temporary guardian, please call us at (866) 590-0886 to speak to an attorney.