If you want your child’s caregiver to be able to give permission for medical and educational services for your child, you have to fill out and sign a Caregiver education and health care authorization affidavit. The form is also called a "Caregiver Authorization Affidavit". The form says you are sharing this decision-making power with the caregiver.
In order to authorize a caregiver, you would have to agree that the following statements are true:
- There are no active court orders that would stop you from personally using the rights and responsibilities that you want the caregiver to have.
- You are not using this form to
- Get around any state or federal law,
- Get your child attendance at a particular school, or
- Give back rights to a caregiver whose rights have been terminated by the court.
- You are giving your permission freely and knowingly to provide for your children and not as a result of pressure, threats, or payments by any person or agency.
- You understand that to change or remove this authorization, you need to provide the amended form or revocation to all the providers that you and the caregiver originally gave the form to.
When you are ready to sign, you will need two witnesses and a notary to complete the parent section. Then, the caregiver must then sign an acknowledgement on the second page. You and the caregiver should both keep a copy of the signed Caregiver Authorization Affidavit.
The caregiver needs to give a copy of the form to the child’s school, doctor, dentist, and other providers. The caregiver should keep a list of everyone they gave the form to, in case they have to let them know about changes.
The Massachusetts Probate Court has instructions about how to fill out the Caregiver Authorization Affidavit.