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Because biological parents and stepparents don't have the same legal ties to children, special permissions are necessary for stepparents to, for example, give medical consent for a child to be examined by a doctor, take children on overnight trips away from home, and pick up school records.

Permission Forms: click to view/print each form (in PDF format)

We appreciate Dr. Margorie Engel, Expert Council, National Stepfamily Resource Center, for sharing these forms with Smart Stepfamilies. Used with permission.

  1. Stepparent Medical Permission - gives permission to stepparents to make medical decisions when necessary for a stepchild.
  2. Grandparent Medical Permission - gives permission for a grandparent to make medical decisions when necessary for a stepgrandchild.
  3. Caretaker Medical Permission - gives permission for a responsible adult (e.g., stepparent's brother or aunt) to make medical decisions when necessary for a stepchild.
  4. Travel Permission - gives a stepparent permission to travel with stepchildren (acknowledges the biological parent's awareness of the travel).
  5. School Duplicate Information - gives schools permission to share information about a child with both households, including parents and stepparents.