Arizona Temporary Guardianship Form: What Kinship Caregivers Actually Need

What "Temporary Guardianship" Actually Means in Arizona

If you searched for an Arizona temporary guardianship form, you probably have a child living with you right now and the school or clinic is asking for paperwork. Before you start filling out court forms, there's something important: most kinship caregivers in Arizona don't need a court-ordered temporary guardianship at all.

Arizona has two separate legal tools, and they solve very different problems.

A temporary guardianship under A.R.S. § 14-5207 is a court order. You file a petition with the Superior Court, pay roughly $200–$300 in filing fees, and a judge decides whether to grant you full legal decision-making authority over the child for up to six months while a permanent guardianship case is pending.

A Parental Power of Attorney under A.R.S. § 14-5104 is a private document. The parent signs Form GNPPOA10F in front of a notary and one witness, delegating authority for school matters, routine medical care, dental visits, and daily decisions — no court, no filing fees, no judge. Third parties are not required to accept it, though school districts cannot require guardianship as a prerequisite to enrollment. It lasts up to six months (up to twelve if the parent is active-duty military under Title 10 or Title 32 and uses A.R.S. § 14-5107).

When the POA Is Enough

If the parent is alive, reachable, and willing to sign — even from a rehab facility or jail — the Parental Power of Attorney handles nearly everything a kinship caregiver needs day-to-day:

• Enrolling the child in school under A.R.S. § 15-802
• Consenting to routine medical and dental appointments
• Signing school field trip waivers and extracurricular forms
• Accessing the child's educational records under FERPA
• Applying for AHCCCS or KidsCare on the child's behalf

The parent keeps all their rights. They can revoke the POA at any time. It doesn't affect child support, custody, or public benefits eligibility for the parent.

When You Actually Need the Court

Temporary guardianship becomes necessary when the POA route breaks down:

• The parent is deceased, and no one can sign a delegation
• The parent's whereabouts are unknown after genuine efforts to find them
• The parent refuses to sign but the child can't safely return
• A medical provider declines the POA for non-emergency care and requires a court order
• The six-month POA has expired and the parent can't execute a renewal

How to File for Temporary Guardianship

Arizona's Superior Court uses forms PB10f (Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor) and PBSE10f for emergency situations. You can find these at your county's Superior Court Self-Service Center or through azcourts.gov.

The process typically involves filing the petition with the Probate Division of the Superior Court, paying the filing fee or submitting a fee waiver application, serving notice on the parent (or publishing notice if they can't be found), and attending a hearing where the judge decides.

If you qualify as low-income, the court has a fee deferral or waiver application. Community Legal Services (Maricopa, Yuma, La Paz, Yavapai, Mohave Counties) and Southern Arizona Legal Aid (Pima, Pinal, Cochise, Santa Cruz, Graham, Greenlee, Gila Counties) may help with the filings at no cost.

The Faster Path for Most Families

If the parent can sign, skip the courthouse. Get Form GNPPOA10F from the Maricopa County Superior Court website, fill it out completely, execute it with a notary and one witness, and make several copies. Give a copy to the school, the pediatrician, the dentist, and keep the original safe.

Set a reminder at the five-month mark so you can arrange renewal before authority lapses.

Our Arizona School & Medical Consent Guide walks through each form, the exact documents schools and clinics need to see, and what to do when the six-month clock runs out — including when it's time to make the switch to court.

See more Arizona guides →