Granting Consent for Your Child
A Guide to Parental Consent Forms
Last Updated: January 29, 2025
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Key Takeaways:
- Providing the correct consent forms for your child is essential for travel and medical authorization.
- Consent forms must be thorough and concise for authorities and medical personnel.
- Notarizing consent forms is essential as many countries require it for entry, and it validates parents’ signatures.
Table of Contents
As a parent, ensuring the safety and care of your children is the number one priority. But sometimes, another adult may need to care for your child.
Ensuring a temporary guardian has the correct paperwork is essential to allow them to smoothly manage a trip with your child or authorize any medical care your child may need.
From a child’s day-to-day care to a teenager’s first school trip abroad, this guide will walk you through the essentials of consent forms for your child. With LawDepot documents, a parent or legal guardian can grant:
- Consent for their child to travel without one or both parents/guardians
- Consent for their child to receive medical treatment
Who can provide consent for a child?
Parents and legal guardians can provide consent for children. This includes adoptive parents who become legal parents when one or both biological parents no longer have their rights to their child.
A legal guardian is an adult appointed by the court or deceased parents to look after a minor until they come of age. Suppose you’re the legal guardian of a minor and need to give another adult temporary authority over your child. In that case, you need to provide consent, just as a biological parent would.
To give another adult the ability to consent for your child on your behalf, you must name them temporary guardians. You can do this by creating the correct forms, which both parents or legal guardians must sign.
What if I’m a single parent?
As a single or separated parent, there are instances where you’ll still need the other parent to sign any consent forms your child may need. If you share custody, both parents must sign and give consent for any other adult to travel with and make medical decisions for your child. For example, if one parent has sole physical custody, but both parents retain legal custody or share parenting responsibilities, then the other parent typically should also provide their consent.
If you have sole legal custody, you can make these decisions and sign yourself. You’ll just need to provide additional documentation with your forms, such as:
- A birth certificate with only your name as the parent
- Court documents showing your sole legal custody
- The death certificate of a deceased parent
Instances that require parent or guardian consent
There are several instances when your child and their caregiver need parental consent. This includes:
1. A child traveling with only one parent/guardian
A child needs consent when traveling with one of their parents or guardians, but not the other. For safety and to follow regulations, authorities must know that your child’s other parent permits the trip.
For example, Canada requires minors traveling with one parent to have a formal letter of consent in English or French alongside other specific requirements, like a copy of the other parent’s ID.
For single or separated parents, this is when you’ll need your supporting documents. For example, if you share custody, the other parent must provide a consent letter for traveling. If you have sole legal custody granted by the court or your spouse has passed away, carry the documents showing this (i.e., custody agreement, deceased parent’s death certificate).
Another example to consider is if your child is traveling with a stepparent. A stepparent with no legal guardianship must have consent from both parents to travel with the child on their own. Even if they have legal guardianship over your child, you and any other parents with shared custody must still provide consent to travel.
2. A child traveling without any parents/guardians
If your child travels unaccompanied or with another adult, they’ll need parental consent. The people in charge of your child during the trip should get both travel and medical consent. These forms are also necessary if someone picks up and cares for your child at their destination.
Situations like this can include:
- Flying alone to visit a parent living in a different state
- Traveling with grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.
- Traveling with family friends
- School trips nationally or internationally
It’s important to check your child’s destination entry requirements and what the airline requires for additional documentation. For example, American Airlines outlines the airport arrival process, the need for contact information, age restrictions, and additional fees for unaccompanied minors, which are essential for preparation alongside your consent forms.
3. A child under the temporary care of another adult
In medical emergencies, it's essential that your child's caregiver has consent for the treatment of a minor. This could be in cases like a child traveling without their parents or being cared for by another adult at home.
For example, say you have a babysitter who cares for your child regularly while you and your spouse are at work. If your child falls and breaks their arm, that caregiver must act quickly. Once they reach the hospital, having medical consent for any pain medication or procedures like x-rays will save time starting your child's care.
A caregiver may also have to assist in providing routine care. If your child has regular appointments for ongoing treatment, their caregiver can be responsible for taking them to those scheduled sessions.
Another example is if your children are staying with their grandparents for an extended period while you’re traveling. Even as direct relatives, medical institutes will need proof that grandparents can make medical decisions.
In emergencies, like an accident involving life-threatening injuries, medical staff can intervene if your child’s life is in danger. However, their caregiver must have authorization to consent to further medical care in case you’re unreachable.
It's important to always check the travel and entry requirements for minors in any destination. The U.S. Department of State offers an easy search tool to find details on your child’s destination to help make their journey smoother.
How do I write a letter of consent for my child?
Your consent forms must be concise and accurate so that security and medical personnel have precise details about what authority you grant the temporary guardian.
You'll need to write two important letters of consent for your child. These are:
A Child Travel Consent
A Child Travel Consent form, also known as a parental consent letter, is a detailed document authorizing your child’s trip. It also lets you name a temporary guardian for their trip.
You must complete a new letter for each trip so that it’s current and includes every leg of a journey. The document is just as important as having a valid passport, as the information helps give authorities a clear itinerary for your child.
LawDepot’s Child Travel Consent form is a quick and simple way to create your consent form. Our template will ask for all the essential information, such as your child’s details, the name of the guardian or parent traveling with your child, and trip details that authorities will need.
A Child Medical Consent
A Child Medical Consent form is crucial for any child who is traveling without their parent or is under the care of another adult for long periods of time. This document gives a temporary guardian or caregiver the authority to make medical decisions for your child. These decisions can include all medical emergencies, medical care, and routine treatments.
An easy way to create a consent form is to use LawDepot’s customizable Child Medical Consent form. Our user-friendly questionnaire lets you name a guardian and include all the essentials for your consent form, such as the medical decisions you authorize them to make.
For instances where you might be away from your child for an extended period, you may want to consider a Power of Attorney for a Child. This document will grant your chosen agent the temporary ability to make decisions about your child’s education, physical health, and financial support until you return.
Why do I need to provide consent forms for my child?
There are several reasons for providing consent forms for your child. Some of the key reasons include:
Travel reasons:
Most airlines and border security agencies worldwide require consent letters for children traveling without one or both parents. Border officials and airlines can deny entry or involve authorities if a child doesn’t have the correct forms for travel.
The United States, along with over a hundred other countries, signed the Hague Convention Treaty of 1980 to work together to ensure children who are victims of child abduction or trafficking return home safely. Consent forms help ensure that a child is traveling safely in the care of a responsible and authorized adult. Alternatively, it shows that a responsible guardian is waiting for them if they are traveling alone.
Medical reasons:
Medical consent provides faster care for your child when they’re traveling without you or are under another adult's care in your absence.
Without the consent of a parent, legal guardian, or temporary guardian, there are some instances where medical staff cannot proceed with necessary treatment. Your child’s care can be prolonged if there’s no one there to make the final decision for them.
Overall, these forms provide safety for your children and can give you peace of mind that your child’s well-being and health are top priorities when they are not in your care.
Traveling as a family? Learn what documents you need when traveling with our article 3 Documents Every Parent Needs When Traveling With Children
Do my child consent forms need to be notarized?
Many travel authorities and countries require a notarized Child Travel Consent letter for entry. On the other hand, notarization isn't a requirement for a Child Medical Consent.
Even if it isn’t required, the best practice is to notarize your consent forms. This validates your signatures on the document and shows the right personnel that you understand and agree to the authorization you’re providing your child’s temporary guardian.
For example, this can be helpful if your child travels abroad for a school trip and needs medical care. A notarized travel consent is most likely needed, but having a notarized medical consent can further validate your authorization. This lets the temporary guardian make medical decisions much faster.
To help save time, LawDepot offers Online Notary services from anywhere in the United States.
When do children no longer need consent letters?
The legal age to fly alone without parental consent can vary based on location and airline requirements. Generally, once your child turns 18, you’ll no longer need to provide consent for them to travel internationally or domestically. Check the destination entry and airline requirements for the minimum age to travel without consent.
Minor consent for routine medical care and the treatment a minor can consent to varies by state. For example, in California, when a minor is 15 years or older, living separate and apart from their parents, and in charge of their own financial affairs, they can consent to medical, vision, and dental care. In Alabama, a minor must be 14 years or older to consent to medical, dental, health, or mental health services.
If you’re unsure whether you need to provide a caregiver with consent for routine medical care for a child who is nearly 18, check your local legislation. However, it’s still essential to provide a medical consent letter for medical emergencies when your minor child is under the care of another adult. If a quick decision needs to be made, a consent form will allow a guardian to authorize any care your child cannot decide upon themselves in an emergency.
Want to be even more prepared for your children? Take a look at Essential Documents Every Parent Should Have and prepare for your child’s future.
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