Parental Consent Forms - Why They Should Be Notarized

Is your child attending an activity? Did he or she present a parental consent form for you to fill out and get notarized?  Are you confused about why you need to sign such form?  Well, here is a summary of the things that every parent must know about parental consent forms.

Purpose

Any minor who is travelling alone or attending an activity needs a notarized consent form from the parent.

The purpose of the consent form is three-fold.

First, it is to inform the organizers of the activity that you, as a parent, have actually allowed your child to attend the activity and are in full support of his partaking in the event.

Second, it is to assign a medical appointee who will make any decision necessary for the healthcare of the minor while he or she is away from his or her parent.  This ensures that there is proper transfer of authority from one adult to another.

Third, it is to show the immigration officers, if your minor child is travelling abroad, that the child is being transferred from one country to another with the consent of the parent.  This is to prevent child trafficking.

Other attachments

Notarized parental consent forms are often accompanied by other attachments most especially when the home situation calls for such forms.

If you are a single parent because you have sole custody of the child, you would need to attach a copy of your separation or divorce papers. This provides information on why you are the only parent signing the form.

If you are a single parent because your partner is deceased, you would need to attach the death certificate of your partner to fairly apprise the notary of the situation.

If you are not a parent but a legal guardian to the child, you would need to attach copies of your guardianship forms to the consent forms.

Final Reminders

When faced with a parental consent form, always check in with your child about the activity so you can properly inform the notary public about the details. Having the consent form notarized means that it will become a public document.  This means that you should have the right information about the activity and every detail about it.

Prepare the right documents and make sure that you have your own copy and a receiving copy.  Check in with your State about the number of copies that each notary requires. It is always better to have a one-time trip than go back and forth to the office of the notary.

Finally, make sure that you do not sign the document.  You will sign in the document in front of the notary after checking if all of the facts are correct.