Guardianship Guardianship of Children Children sometimes live with adults who are not their parents. Those adults may pursue guardianship of those children in order to have some legal authority.
Legal action is required in order to secure guardianship in all instances.
Full guardians are vested with the authority and responsibility to make decisions regarding the care, education, and general upbringing of the child. Full guardianship fully legitimizes a child s living situation. Guardianship should be considered when parents are absent and cannot be reached, parents are unable to make decisions in children s best interests owing to mental illness, alcohol or other drug dependency, mental retardation or other disability, and the like. Human Services will recommend guardianship only if there is a service need which cannot be addressed without the consent of a parent or guardian. This does not prohibit a person from seeking guardianship, of course.