Guardianship+Information

[|Department of Chidren and Families]

[|Department of Developmental Services]

[|Department of Social Services]

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**The Guardianship Process**

Dear Parents and interested parties,

We are writing to you to discuss the process of guardianship with you. Your son/daughter will soon be turning the age 18, which is considered the age of majority. Up until now, you have been the guardian because you child is considered a minor. However, all students, regardless of their disability, will become their own guardian at age 18. When a child becomes his/her own guardian, then they are now legally responsible for making their own decisions with regards to financial, medical, and treatment concerns. As you can imagine, it would be extremely unsafe and detrimental for your child to be placed in the position of sole decision-maker for him/herself (see attached list).

Therefore, we are writing to you to explain the process about filing for permanent court-appointed guardianship of your child. This can be a lengthy and time-consuming process that should be started as soon as possible. First, we can assist with completing a competency evaluation of your child, also known as a clinical team report. Basically, the clinical team report is a written statement, based on an interview with your child. The report will state that, in our professional opinion, you child is not deemed competent to be his/her own guardian. This report is signed by a licensed social worker, a licensed psychologist and a medical doctor. As we do not currently have a licensed psychologist on staff, the psychologist that we work with does charge a fee for this report. The fee is $150.00 and checks can be made out to the agency where the psychologist is employed.

 Once the report is completed, we will mail you the original copy, along with more detailed further instructions. Basically, this original report will need to be filed at your local Probate and Family Court: ___. In the past, parents have completed this process several different ways. Some families have taken a day to go to the courthouse themselves and file the paperwork. Other families have utilized a lawyer, who will charge a fee for filing the paperwork. And some families have been able to utilize their DMR office to file the paperwork for them, free of charge. It is important to note that not all DMR offices will offer this service. It is recommended that you contact your Student Service Coordinator to further discuss these options.

Please do not hesitate to call with any questions: (999) 555-5000.

Sincerely, Our School