Minnesota School Field Trip, Sports, and Activities Consent for Grandparent Caregivers

The Permission Slip Problem

Enrollment is done. The child is in class. Then a permission slip comes home for a field trip to the Science Museum, and the form asks for a "parent/guardian signature." Can you sign it?

If you have a Delegation of Parental Authority (DOPA) under Minn. Stat. § 524.5-211, yes. The DOPA delegates "any powers regarding the care, custody, or property of the minor child" to you as the Attorney-in-Fact. That language covers educational decisions, and permission slips fall squarely within everyday educational decision-making.

Most permission slips don't ask whether you're a parent or a delegated caregiver — they just need a signature from someone authorized to make decisions for the child. Sign your name, and if the form has a "relationship" field, write "caregiver (DOPA on file)." The school already has your DOPA from enrollment.

Extracurricular Activities and Sports

After-school clubs, youth sports leagues, band, choir, robotics — these require consent forms that look similar to field trip slips but sometimes add medical authorization and liability waivers.

With a DOPA, you can sign all of these. Sports physicals, however, are a medical matter: the DOPA covers your authority to consent to the physical exam, but you'll need to present the DOPA to the clinic performing the sports physical just as you would for any other medical appointment.

Some youth organizations outside the school — traveling soccer leagues, Boy Scouts, dance studios — have their own enrollment paperwork. These private organizations aren't bound by Minnesota education statutes, so they set their own policies. Acceptance of a DOPA is not guaranteed; ask what authorization they will accept before relying on it. If a private organization refuses, ask them to specify what document they require, and contact the Volunteer Lawyers Network if the request seems unreasonable.

Accessing the Child's School Records

Grades, attendance reports, discipline records, and assessment results — you need access to all of it to support the child academically.

Under FERPA (the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), parents have the right to inspect and review their child's educational records. A relative caregiver with a DOPA acts in the place of a parent for educational purposes and is entitled to the same access. You can:

• Log into the school's online parent portal
• Request printed copies of report cards and assessments
• Review discipline and attendance records
• Receive notification of suspensions or behavioral incidents
• Meet with teachers and counselors about academic progress

One thing to know: unless a court order restricts the biological parent's rights, the non-custodial parent also retains FERPA access (Minn. Stat. § 120A.22, Subd. 1a). The school can provide records to both you and the parent. This is not something you can prevent with a DOPA — only a court can restrict a parent's educational record access.

When the School Contacts You vs. the Parent

Once your DOPA is on file, make sure the school's contact information is updated so that:

• Automated calls and emails about closures, events, and absences go to your phone and email
• Emergency contact information lists you as the primary contact
• Report cards and progress reports are sent to your address

Schools can list both you and the biological parent as contacts if the parent requests it. If having the parent receive school communications would create a safety concern, talk to the school administration and provide any relevant protective order. A DOPA does not override the terms of an existing court order.

The Paper Trail Pays Off

Every time you sign a permission slip, consent to an activity, or attend a conference, you're building a record that the child has a stable, engaged caregiver managing their education. If you ever need to transition from a DOPA to a formal court arrangement — a Chapter 257C third-party custody petition, for example — that paper trail demonstrates your active involvement in the child's life.

Keep copies of everything you sign. A simple folder or envelope in your desk drawer works. If you want a more structured system, our Minnesota School and Medical Consent Guide includes organizational tools designed for kinship caregivers tracking school paperwork across the year.

The child's school life doesn't stop at enrollment. Field trips, sports, conferences, report cards — each one is a small interaction where having your authority documented makes the difference between a five-second signature and a twenty-minute conversation with the front office.

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