Child guardianship entails a great deal of
responsibility and accountability. When an individual assumes the
responsibility of obtaining legal guardianship of a minor, there are many concerns, considerations, and worries that
the legal guardian may experience. If authorized by the court, the individual
who has petitioned for the rights to child guardianship of a minor will be
required to provide the child with all of the necessities that are necessary
for survival. This includes food, shelter, clothing, and medical care.

One of the primary
responsibilities of an individual who has undertaken the guardianship of a
minor is to provide that child with healthcare and access to doctors and
medical care if they need it. Medical care can be extremely expensive if
medical coverage is lacking, and a guardian should never withhold medical
treatment due to a lack of medical coverage.

When the responsibility of the guardianship of a minor is taken
from the child’s parents and given to another adult, the court may
decide that the parents of the child are still required to provide the child
with financial support. This may include the cost of medical care. The court
may order the parents of the child to keep the minor on their medical plan. The
parents of the child voluntarily keep the child on their medical plan, even
after child guardianship has been granted to another individual. If the parents
of the child refuse or are unable to keep the minor on their medical plan, then
the individual who has assumed child guardianship of the minor may attempt to
add the child to their own medical plan.

Many medical
plans will allow an individual who has undertaken the legal guardianship of a
minor to add the ward to their medical plan. However, some will not. If the
individual who has assumed child guardianship is unable to add the minor to
their medical plan, the child may be eligible to receive free health insurance
from the State.

The State
Children’s Health Insurance Program is an alliance between the Federal Government
and State governments and seeks to provide uninsured children with low cost
health insurance. The Children’s Health Insurance program provides coverage to
children who need dental care, medical equipment, eye care, hospitalization,
doctor visits, and prescription medication.

The program
is not a welfare program, and is therefore, open to working families who do not
earn enough money to pay for private insurance programs, yet make too much for
Medicaid coverage. The cost to enroll in the program varies from State to State.
In some instances, receiving coverage from this program may not require any
fee. Even when it does require a fee, the cost is very small. A program such as
this may be ideal if an individual who has assumed guardianship of a minor is
unable to include the child in their medical coverage and cannot afford to
change their insurance policy.

Becoming the legal guardian of a child is an extremely large
responsibility, and the individual who is considering petitioning to become the
legal guardian of a child may have many question and concerns. The legal
guardian will be responsible for providing for and supporting the child. It is
natural for a guardian to want to know what types of rights they have to the
child’s lif, and how long these rights and responsibilities will last. The
legal guardian may also be concerned about how they are going to afford to care
for the child.

Providing a child with the
necessities that are required for living can be very expensive. Before an
individual decides to petition for guardianship rights to a child, they will
want to understand what types of benefits and financial assistance they are
eligible to receive. It is essential that a potential guardian have all of
their concerns and questions answered before they complete the guardianship
forms.

Medical Coverage


A legal guardian of a child is responsible to provide that child
with access to healthcare and medical treatment. In some cases, the parents of
the child will continue to keep the child on their medical plan. If the parents
of the child do not agree to this, then it may be possible for the child’s
legal guardian to include their ward on their medical plan. However, this is
not always possible.

Many states have created an
alliance with the Federal Government in order to provide free or low cost
health coverage to the children of families who do not earn enough money to pay
for private healthcare, but make too much money for Medicaid. These programs
will cover most of a child’s necessary medical expenses. These programs often
offer options to legal guardians who are caring for a minor that is not their
child in order to ensure that the child receives proper medical care.

Permanency of Guardianship


The establishment of a guardianship is not usually considered a
permanent arrangement. Even a general guardianship, which may be more long term than a temporary guardianship, can be terminated at any time. A
guardianship may be terminated at any time by the court or due to other circumstances.

There are many situations that
would warrant the termination of a guardianship. A guardianship may be ended
when the child reaches a certain age, if the guardian is no longer able to care
for the child, or if it is no longer in the child’s best interest to remain in the care of the
individual who was acting as their legal guardian. Once a guardianship is
abolished, the individual who was acting as the legal guardian of the minor no
longer has any rights or responsibilities for that child. If the child is still
a minor when a legal guardianship is terminated, then the court will attempt to
find another guardian for the child.

Benefits/Subsidies for Legal Guardians


In the past, the Government provided little or no
assistance to relatives or family friends who chose to undertake the
responsibility of becoming a legal guardian. Many individuals who were
considering petitioning a court for legal guardianship of a minor hesitated due
to the financial burden that it would place on them.

Legal
guardians provide a safe and stable environment for a child to grow up in and
they provide the child with necessities, such as food, shelter and clothing.
They may also provide the child with any financial assistance. In many cases, a
legal guardian struggles financially due to the expensive nature of providing
for their ward. As a result, many states have established subsidized
guardianship programs and organizations in order to provide necessary financial
assistance to legal guardians in hopes that more individuals will be willing to
become a legal guardian of a child in need.