How to Give Someone Temporary Permission to Care for Your Child in Oregon
Sometimes, life can throw unexpected challenges your way. If you’re a parent who needs help taking care of your child for a short time, you may be wondering how to give someone else permission to step in.
In Oregon, you can sign a "Delegation of Parental Powers" to allow another person to make important decisions for your child, like enrolling them in school or taking them to the doctor. This arrangement does not end your parental rights—it’s just a way to make sure your child is cared for when you can’t be there.
What does a "Delegation of Parental Powers" form do?
This form allows someone who isn't your child's parent to make important decisions for your child. These decisions include:
- Enrolling your child in a new school
- Signing school permission slips
- Talking to your child’s teachers or attending parent-teacher conferences
- Scheduling doctor’s appointments
- Talking to your child’s doctors about your child’s health
- Getting routine medical care for your child
- Seeing your child’s medical records
When can you use this form?
You can use this form if you're unable to parent your child. For example:
- You are hospitalized or recovering from a serious illness
- You’re traveling and can’t take your child with you
- You’re facing a personal emergency, like job loss or housing issues
- You're in jail or prison
How to use the form
- Choose a trusted adult: Select someone you trust to care for your child. This could be a family member, a close friend, or another responsible adult.
- Fill out the paperwork: You can use our "Delegation of Parental Powers" form to give someone temporary parenting responsibilities.
- Get the form signed: Both you and the person you’re appointing need to sign the form.
- Give a copy to the caregiver: Once the form is completed, provide a copy to your child's temporary caregiver. It’s also a good idea to share it with your child’s school, doctor, or anyone else who may need to know.
Important things to know
- Time limits: The delegation of parental powers form only lasts for six months. If you need the arrangement to last longer, you’ll need to sign a new form.
- Court involvement: You don’t need to go to court to use this form, but if the situation becomes long-term, you may need to explore legal guardianship or other options through the courts.
- Parental rights: This form does not take away any of your rights (or your co-parent's rights). This form simply gives another person permission to make decisions for your child, in addition to you.
- Cancellation: You can fill out a "Revocation of Parental Authority" (the last page in the packet of forms) to end the arrangement. Give this form to your child's temporary caregiver, medical providers, school, and anyone else who should know you are taking away the caregiver's authority.
FAQs About Delegation of Parental Powers
The easiest option is to continue to sign a new "'Delegation of Parental Powers" form every six months, for as long as you need someone else to care for your child. This option doesn't involve going to court and doesn't require hiring a lawyer.
If you don't think you'll be able to parent again, then you may want to consider long-term options, such as legal guardianship. However, this option will require you to go to court and you will probably need to hire a lawyer.
It depends on whether your child's other parent is a legal parent, custodial parent, or non-custodial parent.
- If the other parent isn’t your child’s legal parent: They can't take your child. They don't have rights.
- If you are both legal parents and haven’t gone to court for custody: Yes. The other parent can take your child. The other parent has the same rights that you do.
- If you are the custodial parent: No. The other parent can’t take your child. They must follow the visitation schedule in your court papers. But they can go back to court and ask the judge to change custody or the visitation schedule if you are unable to care for your child.
- If you are the non-custodial parent: No. The other parent can’t take your child. They must follow the visitation schedule in your court papers. But they could go back to court and ask the judge to change the visitation schedule if you are unable to care for your child.
If you have questions about any of this, you should talk to a lawyer.
Yes. There are some risks you should be aware of:
- A caregiver might refuse to return your child. If this happens, it can be a long process to get your child back. You can try to get your child back if you are still the legal parent and the caregiver doesn’t have legal rights. Just don’t break any laws or hurt anyone. But, if you don’t know where your child is, or the caregiver won’t let you see your child, you will need help from the courts.
- DHS gets involved. If you leave your child with an unsafe person or in an unsafe situation, the Department of Human Services (DHS) can get involved to protect your child. DHS will make decisions for your child based on what they think is best for your child.
- The other parent can ask for legal custody or a change in your current visitation plan. If you are unable to care for your child, your child’s other parent can ask the court for custody of your child. For more on custody, go here.
Yes. But there are special rules for service-member parents:
- If your child lives with the other parent or the other parent is the custodial parent: You must give your parental authority to the other parent (unless you go to court and a judge says this is not in your child’s best interests).
- If your child lives with you or you have sole custody: You can give parental authority to the other parent, a relative, your spouse, or another safe parent.
- If you have joint custody of your child: You can give your parental authority to your current spouse (unless the other parent goes to court and gets a decision from a judge that this is not in your child’s best interests).
The "Delegation of Parental Powers" form can last for more than six months for military service members. It can last your entire active duty, plus 30 days after your active duty ends.
You have these options:
- Sign a "Delegation of Parental Powers" form before you go. Choose an adult to make decisions for your child for six months. You can have a new form made up for the next six months, and for as many six-month periods as you need. Make sure the adult agrees to take care of your child for that long.
- If you did not sign a "Delegation of Powers" because you were forced to leave the country, a relative in the U.S. can fill out a Relative Caregiver Affidavit. The relative caregiver must renew the Affidavit every year you are gone.
- You may be able to choose an adult to become your child’s legal guardian. Learn more about guardianship here.