Indiana Kinship Care Consent Forms: Everything a Relative Caregiver Needs
Indiana doesn't have a single "kinship caregiver consent form" that covers everything. Instead, different situations call for different documents — and knowing which one you need saves trips to offices that turn you away.
Here's the complete map of forms a relative caregiver in Indiana might need, when each one applies, and where to find them.
School Enrollment: IDOE Custodial Statement (Form II)
What it does: Establishes legal settlement so a child living with you can attend your local public school tuition-free.
Governing law: IC 20-26-11-3
Who signs: You, the caregiver, sign Form II. Follow the current form instructions for any parent information or documentation relevant to the child's situation.
Where to get it: Indiana Department of Education website (in.gov/doe) under "Other Legal Forms."
Key point: In qualifying relative-care circumstances, the school generally cannot demand a court order solely because you lack one. The statute has a limited exception when both school-purpose residency and the parents' ability to support the child while living elsewhere are at issue.
Medical and Everyday Decisions: Parental Power of Attorney
What it does: Delegates custody, school enrollment, and medical consent authority from the parent to you for up to 12 months.
Governing law: IC 29-3-9-1
Who signs: The parent with legal custody, before a notary public. Remote Online Notarization is permitted under IC 33-42.
Where to get it: This is a privately drafted document — no official state form exists. The document must identify both parties, the child, the specific powers delegated, the effective date, and expiration date.
Key point: Must be notarized. Automatically expires after 12 months with no extension option — the parent must sign a completely new document to renew.
Medical Visits Without a POA: Statutory Proxy Consent
What it does: Lets a grandparent, adult sibling, or other relative consent to medical care for a minor when higher-priority people in the statutory hierarchy are unavailable, decline to act, or are unknown after reasonable inquiry.
Governing law: IC 16-36-1-5
Who signs: No document required — this is a statutory right you assert verbally or in writing at the clinic. But having a brief written statement of the parent's unavailability speeds things up.
Key point: Works on a per-encounter basis. Good for urgent situations, but a POA is better for ongoing care.
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Contingency Planning: Standby Guardian Declaration
What it does: Names a backup guardian whose authority activates automatically if the parent dies or becomes incapacitated.
Governing law: IC 29-3-3-7
Who signs: The parent, before a notary public.
Duration: Stays dormant until triggered, then lasts 90 days. Filing a guardianship petition within that window continues the standby authority until the court rules.
Key point: This is for future contingencies — a parent facing a serious diagnosis who wants a plan in place.
Court Route: Minor Guardianship Petition
What it does: Gives you comprehensive legal authority over the child through a court order that lasts until the child turns 18.
Governing law: IC 29-3-5
Who files: You, in the county probate or circuit court. The CHINS Disclosure Form (Form 4012) is mandatory.
Where to get it: Indiana Legal Help (indianalegalhelp.org) has the current form packet.
Cost: $157–$177 filing fee; fee waiver available for low-income filers.
Key point: A court petition may be needed when non-court authority will not meet the child's needs, or when you need stable longer-term authority.
Which Forms Do You Need Right Now?
Most kinship caregivers start with the IDOE Form II for school plus either a parental POA (if the parent will sign) or IC 16-36-1-5 proxy consent (if the parent is unreachable). Add the standby guardian declaration if there's any chance the parent's health could deteriorate. Move to guardianship only when informal instruments aren't enough.
The Indiana School and Medical Consent Guide maps every form to the specific situation where it applies and includes a document preparation checklist so you can assemble everything before your first visit to the school or clinic.
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