COVID-19/Coronavirus Child Healthcare Consent Form

A Child Healthcare Consent form is a document that can be used by parents to grant authority to their children's caretaker to seek medical treatment for the children if necessary when the parents are unavailable to give consent themselves. Whether a neighbor, relative, daycare, or other individual is looking after children, a consent form must be in place so they can easily and quickly access medical treatment for the children in both emergency and routine situations. Often, hospitals, doctors, and other healthcare providers will require some form of written documentation that the person who has brought a child into their practice has the authority to seek medical treatment for that child. So, this form ensures that this base is covered and nothing stands in the way of a child getting the medical care that they need in a prompt and efficient manner.

Currently, the COVID-19/Coronavirus pandemic is causing destabilization and uncertainty among families across the country and throughout the world. Many parents find themselves in stressful positions where they must entrust care of their children to a non-parent, whether it's due to quarantining, working in a job providing essential services that takes them away from home, sending children away to stay with friends or family in areas less affected by the virus, or any of the other myriad situations being caused by the pandemic. As a precautionary measure, this document can be used to assuage parents' worry by putting in place a plan to give permission to their children's care giver to seek medical treatment for the children if necessary.

How to use this document

This document includes all of the information necessary to grant authority to a caretaker to seek medical treatment for children under their care. Firstly, the document lists all of the involved parties, including parents/legal guardians, children, and caretakers. The document then includes information about any special medical needs the children might have, such as prescribed medication or allergies, as well as details about the scope of the caretaker's authority and the time period during which they will have this authority, whether for a fixed period of time or until the end of this pandemic. Finally, the document lists any preferred medical providers and hospitals, as well as insurance information that would be necessary if the caretaker needed to take a child in to get medical treatment.

Once all of the required information has been filled out, any parents or legal guardians granting authority should sign and date the document. Copies of the document should be given to the caretaker for them to keep on record. Copies of the document can also be distributed to any primary care providers or medical professionals that regularly see the children so that the documents are on hand in case of emergency.

Applicable law

Consent to the medical treatment of a minor is governed by varying state laws and professional guidelines. In most states, 18 years old is the age of majority (except for Nebraska and Alabama where the age of majority is 19 years old) and thus, before treating a patient under the age of 18, medical professionals must obtain consent from the patient's parent or legal guardian or any individual authorized to give consent by the parent or legal guardian. Generally, when a parent or guardian is not available to give consent and a delay in treatment would be life-threatening or cause a patient serious harm, consent is presumed. However, to the extent feasible, medical providers are diligent about obtaining consent any resultant ongoing treatment, in compliance with state law and professional guidelines.

How to modify the template

You fill out a form. The document is created before your eyes as you respond to the questions.

At the end, you receive it in Word and PDF formats. You can modify it and reuse it.