Leaving Minor Children While on Vacation?
You may not want to consider appointing an individual to consent to health care of your child in your absence. This can easily be done by a Health Care Consent or Power of Attorney document prepared by a knowledgeable attorney to ensure compliance with the statutes of your state.
The Health Care Consent would grant the appointed individual the authority to either consent or refuse any health care treatment or procedures for your child in your absences. It would allow your child’s appointed “health care representative” to admit and/or discharge your child from a hospital or other treatment facility. It would allow the representative to authorize any medication or procedure necessary just as you would do if you were here. Certainly you would want the health care representative to notify you as soon as possible of any emergency, health care or otherwise. However, the inability to reach you would not delay medical treatment for your child.
The Power of Attorney might allow the Attorney in Fact (your representative) to transport your children to and from school, and to authorize any field trips or other school activities. The Attorney in Face may also have to meet with school staff on behalf of your child when you are away.
It is possible to limit the time that the consent is granted to only the time that you are away. Or if you travel often, you may want the consent to be granted generally until the child reaches the age of majority, but only when you are not available in person.
You never know when an emergency may arise or even a non-emergency that requires an adult to consent on your child’s behalf. Plan ahead by contacting the office of Smith, Carpenter, and Fondrisi & Cummins LLC to schedule an appointment to discuss your personal needs to protect your child in your absence. Smith Carpenter Law can help you with plans to assure the care of your child or children while you are enjoying your vacation or just on a business trip.
Mary E. Fondrisi