When to Establish Temporary Guardian

There are many situations in which a temporary guardianship may be established. Usually, a temporary guardianship is created and authorized by a child's parents. It may be beneficial during periods of time when the child's parents are unavailable or are unable to care for the child.

A temporary guardianship may be established if a child's parents must travel across or out of the country for an extended period of time. It may also be necessary to authorize a temporary guardianship if the child's natural guardian is ill, recovering from medical treatment or surgery, or if the primary guardian is incarcerated for a period of time.
It is important to go through the legal process of establishing a temporary guardianship, rather than simply leaving the child in the care of another individual. In cases in which a child is injured or sick, only a child's parents or legal guardian can consent to medical treatment for the minor. A temporary guardian will possess these same rights for the specified time period. Therefore, if a child needs immediate medical attention and the child's parents are unable to be present in order to authorize the treatment, then the temporary guardian can ensure that the child receives the proper medical care.
Establishing a temporary guardianship is a fairly simple legal procedure, but may be vital to the health and safety of a child. In order to begin the process, you must first obtain a copy of a temporary guardianship form. A temporary guardianship form may be found at a local State court or an attorney's office. A temporary guardianship form may also be easily found online and printed from a computer.
Once you have acquired a temporary guardianship form, you must consider who will be the best guardian for your child. It should be someone who is responsible, and someone that you trust to make important decisions that may affect the child's life. Once a temporary guardian has been decided upon, it is important that you speak with the guardian about the situation. You will need to explain to them why you would like them to assume responsibility for your child and for how long, as well as any details that may be important to the care of your child. You should make sure that you inform them about any medical conditions or other essential information, such as food or medication allergies. You may want to outline what specific regulations should be upheld in regard to food and beverage consumption, or medication administration.
Once a parent has spoken with the temporary guardian, the temporary guardianship form must be completed. It is important that the form is not signed by the parent or the temporary guardian until a notary is present. A notary will act as a witness to the agreement between the parent and the guardian. You may be able to find a notary at a local bank, a government office, an insurance agency, or at a public library.

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