Washington Guardianship for School Enrollment and Medical Decisions

For many grandparents and relatives raising a child in Washington, the push toward guardianship starts at a school front desk or a doctor's office. Someone asks for proof that you have authority over the child, and a handshake arrangement with the parent is not enough. A guardianship order under RCW 11.130 provides court-issued documentation of your appointment. Certified Letters of Guardianship identify you as guardian, while the order can limit your powers or preserve some parental rights.

School Enrollment Without Guardianship

Washington law generally allows a relative providing kinship care to enroll a child in school. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act also protects homeless or unaccompanied youth. But "enroll" does not mean "manage." Without legal authority, you may run into resistance when you need to:

• Access the child's school records or IEP documents
• Authorize field trips, extracurricular activities, or school-based services
• Make decisions about special education placement
• Register the child in a new school district if you move

Some school districts are cooperative with informal caregivers; others strictly require a court order or notarized authorization from the parent. The experience varies wildly from district to district and even school to school.

Medical Decisions Without Guardianship

Washington's health care consent law (RCW 7.70.065) includes a competent adult who represents themselves as a relative responsible for a minor's health care, or who signs a declaration under penalty of perjury. A signed declaration is effective for up to six months. The statute covers health care, including mental health care, and does not categorically exclude major surgery. The priority list gives precedence to an appointed guardian or legal custodian, an authorized out-of-home-care decisionmaker, a parent, and a person the parent authorized before the relative caregiver. A provider may rely on the relative's representation or declaration, but is not required to, and may require documentation. This declaration authorizes consent to health care; insurance enrollment follows separate rules.

Other practical issues can still arise:

• Insurance enrollment — adding a child to your health plan typically requires proof of legal custody or guardianship
• Ongoing specialist care — providers may initially accept a declaration but require formal authority for continued treatment

For emergencies, EMTALA requires Medicare-participating hospital emergency departments to screen patients who request emergency care and stabilize emergency conditions or transfer the patient to a capable hospital, regardless of ability to pay.

What Letters of Guardianship Change

Once a judge signs a minor guardianship order, you receive certified Letters of Guardianship (Form GDN ALL 004) from the county clerk. These letters are your proof of authority. When you present them:

Schools — A guardian generally has the powers a parent would have regarding the child's education, except as limited by the court order. The order must state rights retained by each parent, which may include education decision-making or access to records. Check the order to see which authority the guardian has.

Medical providers — A guardian may consent to health or other care for the child, except as limited by the court order. The order may also preserve a parent's health care decision-making or access to records, so check its terms.

Letters of Guardianship identify the appointed guardian and any limits or conditions on the guardian's powers. Keep a copy available and check the order for any retained parental rights.

The Interim Solution: Relative Caregiver Declaration

While a guardianship petition works its way through court, you may need to handle school and medical matters immediately. For health care, a relative caregiver may use the declaration described in RCW 7.70.065; a signed authorization from a parent may also help. For school enrollment, ask the district what caregiver authorization it accepts. Once the guardianship order is entered, use the Letters of Guardianship to document the guardian's authority.

If the child needs immediate protection, an emergency guardianship under RCW 11.130.225 can provide short-term authority (up to 60 days, extendable to 120) while the full petition is pending.

Your Next Step

Our Washington Guardianship Court Process Guide covers the full process from petition to Letters of Guardianship, including how to handle school and medical authority during the waiting period.

See more Washington guides →