The Purpose of Legal Guardianship

Child laws are put into effect to ensure that children are being adequately cared for and that children are being raised in a way that is best for their well-being. If the parents of a child are unable to provide the child with the proper care, then a court will appoint a legal guardian in order to provide the child with an environment in which the child can prosper and excel. The purpose of a legal guardian is to provide support, protection and stability to a child who has not received care and guardianship from their parents.

In many situations, appointing a legal guardian allows a child to escape an unhealthy or dangerous environment. Child law allows a legal guardian to rescue a child from an inadequate home and provide them with love and support. In some cases, a child is living with parents who are suffering from drug and alcohol addictions, and as a result, are neglectful.

If a legal guardian is appointed, then child law allows the child to be relocated to a safe environment. The individual who assumes responsibility for the child will be able to give the child an appropriate amount of attention and provide a good example to the child.

Child laws assert that the purpose of a legal guardian is to ensure that the child is receiving proper care. Child law recognizes that sometimes the birth parents of a child are unable to financially support their child. Another requirement of child laws is that a legal guardian must ensure that the child is receiving the necessities that their parents may not have been providing, such as an adequate supply of food and clean clothing.

Child laws also require a legal guardian to make sure that a child is procuring proper medical care. In their previous home, the child may not be receiving the medical coverage that most people take for granted, such as annual physicals or medicine when they are sick.

Child laws ensure that a legal guardian will provide the child with access to a doctor if they become ill. Existing child law also requires a child's legal guardian to ensure that they are attending school on a daily basis and that they receive any additional educational assistance that they may require, such as tutoring. This may have been something that was neglected by the child's parents.

It is important that an individual who is taking care of a child in place of the child's parents undergo the legal process in order to become the child's legal guardian. This will allow the guardian to make all of the decisions related to the child's life without receiving negative legal consequences. For example, if you are not the legal guardian of the child, yet the child is living with you, the parents of the child could charge you with child abduction or housing a runaway and not informing the parents or the authorities.

NEXT: What You Should Know About Types of People Appointed as Legal Guardians