Michigan School Field Trip and Sports Consent for Grandparents and Relative Caregivers

The child is enrolled, settled into class, and doing well — then a permission slip comes home for a field trip or the sports season starts. Can you sign it? As a grandparent or relative caregiver in Michigan, the answer depends on what authority you have on file.

What Counts as Signing Authority

Michigan schools send home consent forms for field trips, extracurricular activities, sports participation, and after-school programs. These forms typically need a signature from a "parent or guardian." If you're not either of those on paper, you'll need one of two things:

An MCL 700.5103 Power of Attorney: When a parent delegates care and custody decisions to you under this statute, that delegation covers signing routine school permissions — field trip waivers, sports participation forms, activity consents, and emergency contact designations. The POA doesn't need to list every specific activity. A properly drafted instrument that delegates "care and custody" authority is broad enough to cover the normal permissions schools require during the school year.

A Probate Court guardianship order: If you've been appointed the child's guardian through the court, you have full authority to sign anything a parent would.

The Sports Physical Wrinkle

Michigan high school athletics (MHSAA) require a pre-participation physical exam. The physician or clinic performing the physical needs consent from someone with medical decision-making authority. If you have an MCL 700.5103 POA, you can authorize the exam and sign the health history forms.

Without a POA, most clinics won't perform a routine sports physical at a non-parent's request. The exception is emergency treatment — but a sports physical isn't an emergency.

Contact the school's athletic director early in the season to discuss what documentation they need. Many schools will accept a copy of the POA on file in the front office rather than asking you to produce it every time a form comes home.

Practical Tips for the School Year

• File a copy of your POA with the school's main office and the athletic department at the start of each school year. Ask them to note it in the child's enrollment record so teachers and coaches see that you have signing authority.
• Track the POA's expiration date. MCL 700.5103 delegations last a maximum of 180 days. If the school year runs longer than your current POA, you'll need the delegating parent or court-appointed guardian to sign a renewal before the old one expires.
• Emergency contact forms are separate from consent forms. Make sure you're listed as the primary emergency contact and that the school has your phone number, the child's doctor's information, and any relevant medical conditions on file.
• Overnight trips and out-of-state travel for school activities may require additional documentation depending on the district's policy. Ask the school office what they need — some districts want a specific travel authorization letter in addition to the standard permission slip.

When You Don't Have a POA

If the parent hasn't signed a power of attorney and isn't available to do so, you're in a difficult spot for non-emergency permissions. The school may let you sign certain low-risk forms informally (like a daytime field trip to a local museum), but they're under no obligation to accept your signature without documented authority.

For longer-term arrangements, the Michigan school and medical consent guide walks through every option — from getting a POA signed to using MCL 380.1148 residency protections for enrollment, and knowing when to pursue formal guardianship.

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