Laramie County Kinship Support Services and School Enrollment

Enrolling in Laramie County School District 1

Laramie County School District 1, which covers Cheyenne and the surrounding area, is the largest district in Wyoming. Its published enrollment documentation lists:

• Proof of address — a rental agreement, mortgage statement, or electric/gas bill showing your name and service address. Official court documents establishing legal guardianship and the guardian's residency are also listed as acceptable. Address documents must be dated no more than 30 days before submission.
• Student's birth certificate — contact the neighborhood school if you do not have it.
• Immunization records or a waiver under W.S. § 21-4-309.

The enrollment process is not complete until the required documents and the online form are submitted. LCSD1's published page does not list an internal caregiver affidavit; it advises families without proof of residency to contact their neighborhood school.

When Records Are Missing

Children placed suddenly with a grandparent or relative often arrive without their school records, immunization cards, or even a birth certificate. If the child qualifies under McKinney-Vento — lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including when sharing housing because of loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason — LCSD1 must enroll the child immediately while missing records are gathered. Ask for the district's McKinney-Vento liaison — front-desk staff don't always make the referral automatically.

For immunization records, the Wyoming Immunization Registry (WyIR) maintained by the Wyoming Department of Health may have the child's vaccination history. A local public health nursing office in Cheyenne can access the registry and either pull records or start catch-up immunizations.

Community Action of Laramie County (CALC)

CALC operates one of the most developed kinship support programs in Wyoming. Its current contact page lists 1700 Westland Road in Cheyenne; the Wyoming Department of Health caregiver-program directory also lists CALC at 211 West 19th Street. Their Kinship Support Services program provides:

• Case management to help you organize the paperwork for school enrollment, benefit applications, and consent documents
• Support groups where you can connect with other grandparents and relatives in similar situations
• Crisis assistance for immediate needs like clothing, school supplies, and emergency housing
• Referrals to Legal Aid of Wyoming, the Older Relative Caregiver program, and other agencies

CALC's kinship case managers understand the gap between having physical custody and having legal authority. They can help you prepare your enrollment paperwork before you walk into the school office, which reduces the chance of being turned away at the front desk.

Contact CALC at (307) 635-9291 or through Wyoming 211 (dial 2-1-1).

Beyond School Enrollment

Enrolling the child in an LCSD1 school doesn't resolve medical consent. A separate process — either a notarized parental consent letter or a temporary guardianship filing in the Laramie County District Court — is needed before a clinic or dentist will let you consent to treatment.

For temporary guardianship under W.S. § 3-2-302, the verified petition must state how long the petitioner has lived in the county where it is filed. That statute does not say that the county of an earlier custody order controls the filing venue.

The School and Medical Consent for Grandparents and Relatives in Wyoming guide covers both the school enrollment process and the medical consent steps for Laramie County caregivers, including the documents CALC can help you prepare.

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