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Free Maryland Minor (Child) Power of Attorney Template

Give a relative or friend written authority for your child's everyday needs. Fill in your Maryland form with a simple questionnaire.

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  • E-sign included

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What Is a Maryland Minor (Child) Power of Attorney?

A Maryland minor (child) power of attorney is a parent’s written authorization for another adult to handle a child’s care while the parent can’t. Maryland also has two relative-caregiver affidavits for families in informal kinship care.

Maryland's Informal Kinship Care Affidavits

What Informal Kinship Care Means

Maryland DHS describes informal kinship care as a private family arrangement without state involvement. In addition, according to the Maryland State Department of Education, informal kinship care is when a relative cares for a child around the clock because of a serious family hardship. A relative means an adult related to the child by blood or marriage. Hardships listed on the affidavit include the death, serious illness, drug addiction, or incarceration of a parent or legal guardian.

The department also notes the law doesn’t require both parents to be unavailable.

School Enrollment Affidavit

The relative signs a sworn affidavit to enroll the child in the caregiver’s local public school. The relative doesn’t need a notary for it. Also, the school system must enroll the child while supporting documents are pending.

Consent for Health Care Affidavit

The Maryland Department of Human Services offers a separate affidavit. It lets a relative providing informal kinship care consent to health care for the child. The relative gives a copy to the child’s health care provider.

Tip

Both Maryland affidavits have yearly deadlines. Relatives refile the school affidavit at least two weeks before each school year. Likewise, they file the health care affidavit annually and report changes within 30 days.

Do You Need a Power of Attorney If You Use the Affidavits?

It depends on who’s caring for your child. The relative caregiver signs Maryland’s affidavits, not the parent, and they only cover informal kinship care.

By contrast, you sign a Maryland minor (child) power of attorney yourself. So it can name any adult you trust, including a friend, and spell out exactly which decisions they may make.

How to Set It Up in Maryland

  1. Write in the child’s name, your own, and the caregiver’s.
  2. List the decisions you’re delegating, like activities, travel, or daily care.
  3. Set start and end dates.
  4. Sign it and give your caregiver the original.
  5. If a relative is the caregiver, they can add the school and health care affidavits.

What to Include in a Maryland Form

Specific terms help schools and providers act without delay.

  • Your name, address, and phone number
  • The child’s full name and date of birth
  • The caregiver’s name, address, and phone number
  • The decisions the caregiver may make
  • Start and end dates
  • Your signature

Create your Maryland minor (child) power of attorney today and hand it over before you leave.