If you and your family are preparing for a summer vacation, you might want to take the time to research powers of attorney for childcare, and why they might be something you want to create before you leave. Regardless of where you live in North Carolina, taking the proper precautions before you go on summer vacation is essential.
You would never go to the airport without making sure that you have purchased your tickets, and you should never leave your children in the hands of someone else without making sure the children are properly protected. To that end, let’s take a look at powers of attorney for childcare, what they do, and why they can be such a necessary part of your summer vacation preparations.
Childcare
If you are going on summer vacation and are planning on taking your children with you, you don’t need powers of attorney for childcare. However, if you’re planning on leaving your children behind with someone else, the person under whose care your children will be will require some protections when it comes to making decisions on the child’s behalf.
Normally, as a parent, you make childcare decisions on a daily basis without really thinking of the legal realities that apply. This is because you, as a parent, have the legal authority to make decisions on your child’s behalf. However, should you leave on vacation and leave your child in the care of another, that person may not have the same legal authority as you.
Powers of Attorney
Powers of attorney are legal documents that allow you to transfer your decision-making authority to someone else. The person creating a power of attorney, called the principal, can designate another person, called an agent, as is or her legally entrusted representative. The power of attorney document will state the kinds of decisions the agent is allowed to make on behalf of the principal.
In other words, should you wish to delegate your decision-making responsibility to another, you can use a power of attorney to do this.
Powers of Attorney and Childcare and Summer Vacation
Part of the decision-making responsibilities you are allowed to delegate through powers of attorney include the right and ability to make child care decisions. For example, should you leave your children under the care and supervision of your parents when you and your spouse decides take a summer vacation, you can use powers of attorney to grant your parents the legal authority to make decisions on behalf of the children. Your parents can, for example, consent to emergency medical treatment should the need arise.
However, should you fail to create powers of attorney that pass on childcare responsibilities, your parents might not have the requisite legal authority. Should your children require medical care, health care providers might have to first attempt to contact you. This isn’t always a practical option, and it could conceivably cause unnecessary delays or complications.
So, if you’re considering going on summer vacation without your children, taking the time to draft proper powers of attorney is something you should consider.
