Arkansas School Residency Affidavit for Relative Caregivers

You've enrolled — or you're trying to enroll — a child in your school district as a relative caregiver. The registrar hands you a residency affidavit and suddenly it feels like a legal document you're not sure you should sign. Here's what the form is, what it's asking, and why you shouldn't be afraid of it.

What the Residency Affidavit Is

Some Arkansas school districts use internal residency affidavits to verify that a child lives within district boundaries. Under Arkansas Code §6-18-202, school attendance may be based on the residence of a parent, legal guardian, person with lawful control, or person standing in loco parentis. The law defines residence as a permanent place of abode where the student is present an average of at least four calendar days and nights per week, for a primary purpose other than school attendance.

The affidavit is a district-level administrative form, not a state-issued statutory document. Different districts have different versions. Some call it a Caretaker Affidavit, others a Residency Verification Statement, others an In Loco Parentis Declaration. They all do the same thing: confirm that the child lives with you, at your address, in that school district.

What You're Affirming

The affidavit typically asks you to confirm:

1. The child's full name and date of birth
2. Your name and relationship to the child (grandmother, uncle, family friend, etc.)
3. Your address and a statement that the child resides there
4. That the arrangement is not solely for school attendance — §6-18-202 requires a primary purpose other than school attendance and bars guardianship or other legal authority granted solely for educational needs
5. Your signature, sometimes notarized

That last point is important. You are not claiming to be the parent or legal guardian. You are stating that you are the responsible adult the child lives with — which is the truth.

Residency Documentation

Districts set their own address-proof process. For example, Little Rock School District lists two proofs such as bills or a lease. Ask your registrar which documents your district accepts. Examples include:

• A utility bill in your name at the address (electric, gas, or water)
• A lease or mortgage statement
• A property tax statement
• A government-issued document showing your address

Ask whether the child's name must appear on the proof of address; the district's affidavit may be used to connect the child to your household.

The Athletic Transfer Concern

Districts are particularly attentive to residency affidavits because of athletic eligibility rules. The Arkansas Activities Association enforces residency requirements to prevent recruiting. Your affidavit may include a specific statement that the child's placement was not motivated by athletics.

If the child legitimately lives with you because of a family situation — parent in treatment, incarcerated, deceased, or unable to care for the child — you are not running afoul of this rule. The rule targets arrangements where a child moves to a relative's house in another district specifically to play on that school's team.

When the District Questions Your Arrangement

If a registrar is skeptical about the living arrangement, they may ask follow-up questions about why the child lives with you and whether the parent still lives in another district. Explain enough to show that the child resides with you and that the arrangement is not solely for school attendance. You can keep unrelated family details brief.

If the questioning turns into a refusal, your options are:

1. Ask to speak with the district superintendent
2. Request the McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison if the child's placement was caused by housing instability
3. Contact Legal Aid of Arkansas at 1-800-952-9243

The Residency Piece Is Just the Start

Getting the residency affidavit signed gets the child into school. But school enrollment also comes with questions about medical consent, immunization records, and who has authority to sign permission slips. The School and Medical Consent Guide for Arkansas covers the entire enrollment process alongside the medical consent authority — so you handle the school side and the doctor side in one pass.

See more Arkansas guides →