POWER OF ATTORNEY:
CARE AND CUSTODY OF CHILD OR CHILDREN
CAUTION TO THE PRINCIPAL: YOUR POWER OF ATTORNEY IS AN
IMPORTANT DOCUMENT. AS THE "PRINCIPAL," YOU GIVE THE PERSON
WHOM YOU CHOOSE (YOUR "AGENT") AUTHORITY TO SPEND YOUR MONEY
AND SELL OR DISPOSE OF YOUR PROPERTY DURING YOUR LIFETIME
WITHOUT TELLING YOU. YOU DO NOT LOSE YOUR AUTHORITY TO ACT
EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE GIVEN YOUR AGENT SIMILAR AUTHORITY.
WHEN YOUR AGENT EXERCISES THIS AUTHORITY, HE OR SHE MUST ACT
ACCORDING TO ANY INSTRUCTIONS YOU HAVE PROVIDED OR, WHERE
THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS, IN YOUR BEST INTEREST.
"IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THE AGENT” AT THE END OF THIS
DOCUMENT DESCRIBES YOUR AGENT'S RESPONSIBILITIES.
YOUR AGENT CAN ACT ON YOUR BEHALF ONLY AFTER SIGNING THE POWER
OF ATTORNEY BEFORE A NOTARY PUBLIC.
YOU CAN REQUEST INFORMATION FROM YOUR AGENT AT ANY TIME. IF
YOU ARE REVOKING A PRIOR POWER OF ATTORNEY BY EXECUTING THIS
POWER OF ATTORNEY, YOU SHOULD PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTICE OF THE
REVOCATION TO YOUR PRIOR AGENT(S) AND TO THE FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS WHERE YOUR ACCOUNTS ARE LOCATED.
YOU CAN REVOKE OR TERMINATE YOUR POWER OF ATTORNEY AT ANY
TIME FOR ANY REASON AS LONG AS YOU ARE OF SOUND MIND. IF YOU ARE
NO LONGER OF SOUND MIND, A COURT CAN REMOVE AN AGENT FOR ACTING
IMPROPERLY.
YOUR AGENT CANNOT MAKE HEALTH CARE DECISIONS FOR YOU. YOU MAY
EXECUTE A "HEALTH CARE PROXY" TO DO THIS.
THE LAW GOVERNING POWERS OF ATTORNEY IS CONTAINED IN THE NEW
YORK GENERAL OBLIGATIONS LAW, ARTICLE 5, TITLE 15. THIS LAW IS
AVAILABLE AT A LAW LIBRARY, OR ONLINE THROUGH THE NEW YORK
STATE SENATE OR ASSEMBLY WEBSITES, WWW.SENATE.STATE.NY.US OR
WWW.ASSEMBLY.STATE.NY.US.
IF THERE IS ANYTHING ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT THAT YOU DO NOT
UNDERSTAND, YOU SHOULD ASK A LAWYER OF YOUR OWN CHOOSING TO
EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That the undersigned,
________________________ , parent(s) of the child(ren) identified below, residing at
________________________ , telephone number ________________________ , hereby make,
constitute and appoint ________________________ , residing at ________________________ ,
telephone number ________________________ , (if more than one attorney-in-fact is appointed, add
'Jointly," "either of them" or "any one of them" to indicate how they must act) as the true and lawful
Attorney(s)-in-Fact of the undersigned, to act in name, place and stead of the undersigned, to do
and execute all or any of the following acts, deeds and things with respect to the care and
custody of the following child(ren):
________________________________ Date of Birth: ________________________________
________________________________ Date of Birth: ________________________________
________________________________ Date of Birth: ________________________________
________________________________ Date of Birth: ________________________________
(a) To participate in decisions regarding the child(ren)’s education including attending
conferences with the child(ren)’s teachers or any other educational authorities, granting
permission for the child(ren)’s participation in school trips and other activities, and making
any other decisions and executing any documents pertinent to their education.
(b) To grant permission and consent to the child(ren) participating in any activity sponsored by
any group, association or organization which activity the Attorney(s)-in-Fact may deem
appropriate.
(c) To make health care decisions on behalf of the child(ren), including making decisions
regarding the child(ren)’s medical or dental care, whether routine or emergency in nature,
including admissions to hospitals or other institutions; to consent to, to refuse to consent to,
or to withdraw consent to the provision of any care, tests, treatment, surgery, service or
procedure to maintain, diagnose or treat a physical or mental condition, as well as the right to
sign such medical forms as may be necessary to carry out such decisions; to talk with health
care personnel who may be treating the child(ren) and to examine the child(ren)’s medical
records and to consent to the disclosure of such records in circumstances the Attorney (s)-in-
fact may deem appropriate; to file claims for medical insurance and to obtain information
from any insurance company with respect to any policy of health or medical insurance under
which the child(ren) may be insured; provided however, that the Attorney(s)-in-Fact shall
not be required to execute any documents which would involve incurring any personal
liability for any such treatment and care, and the undersigned affirms that the undersigned
will be responsible for payment for any such care or treatment consented to by the
Attorney(s)-in-Fact of the undersigned which is not covered by insurance.
(d) To generally do and perform all matters and things, to execute all other instruments of every
kind which may be necessary or proper to effectuate all powers hereinabove specifically
granted, or any other matter or thing appertaining to the child(ren) of the undersigned, with
the same full powers, and to all intents and purposes, with the same validity as the
undersigned could, if personally present; and hereby ratifying and confirming whatsoever
said Attorney (s)-in-fact of the undersigned shall and may do, by virtue hereto.
(e) SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED FROM THE AUTHORITY AND POWERS GRANTED
HEREIN IS THE AUTHORITY OR POWER TO CONSENT TO THE MARRIAGE OR
ADOPTION OF THE CHILD(REN) NAMED HEREIN.
INSPECTION AND DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION RELATING TO MY CHILD’S
PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH.
A. General Grant of Power and Authority. Subject to any limitations in this Directive, my agent
has the power and authority to do all of the following: (1) Request, review and receive any
information, verbal or written, regarding my child’s physical or mental health including, but not
limited to, medical and hospital records; (2) Execute on my behalf any releases or other
documents that may be required in order to obtain this information; (3) Consent to the disclosure
of this information; and (4) Consent to the donation of any of my child’s organs for medical
purposes.
B. HIPAA Release Authority. My agent shall be treated as I would be with respect to my rights
regarding the use and disclosure of my child’s individually identifiable health information or
other medical records. This release authority applies to any information governed by the Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), 42 U.S.C. 1320d and 45 CFR
160 through 164. I authorize any physician, health care professional, dentist, health plan,
hospital, clinic, laboratory, pharmacy, or other covered health care provider, any insurance
company, and the Medical Information Bureau, Inc. or other health care clearinghouse that has
provided treatment or services to my child, or that has paid for or is seeking payment from me
for such services, to give, disclose and release to my agent, without restriction, all of my child’s
individually identifiable health information and medical records regarding any past, present or
future medical or mental health condition, including all information relating to the diagnosis of
HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, mental illness, and drug or alcohol abuse. The
authority given my agent shall supersede any other agreement that I may have made with my
child’s health care providers to restrict access to or disclosure of my child’s individually
identifiable health information. The authority given my agent has no expiration date and shall
expire only in the event that I revoke the authority in writing and deliver it to my child’s health
care provider.
The powers herein granted to said Attorney(s)-in-Fact of the undersigned shall be exercisable
by any one of them or all of them at any time and from time to time, for a period not exceeding
six months, from _______________________ until _______________________ .
(the below option may only be selected by a parent or guardian serving in the military beyond
the territorial limits of the United States)
The powers herein granted to said Attorney(s)-in-Fact of the undersigned shall be exercisable
by any one of them or all of them at any time and from time to time, for a period not exceeding
one year, from _______________________ until _______________________ .
(the below option may only be selected by a parent or guardian delegating the above powers to
a grandparent of the minor, or to a sibling of the minor, or to a sibling of either parent of the
minor)
The powers herein granted to said Attorney(s)-in-Fact of the undersigned shall be exercisable
by any one of them or all of them at any time and from time to time, for a period not exceeding
three years, from _______________________ until _______________________ .
We further understand that this temporary power of attorney (delegation) of our parental powers
does not relieve us of the primary responsibility of our child.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I/we hereunto set our hand(s) and seal(s), this the day of
____________________ , .
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
I consent to the above appointment as attorney-in-fact:
________________________________________________
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
State of New York
County of ____________________
On the day of ____________________ in the year before me, the undersigned,
personally appeared ____________________ , personally known to me or
proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence to be the individual(s) whose name(s)
is (are) subscribed to the within instrument and acknowledged to me that he/she/they
executed the same in his/her/their capacity(ies), and that by his/her/their signature(s) on the
instrument, the individual(s), or the person upon behalf of which the individual(s) acted,
executed the instrument.
________________________________________________
(Signature and office of individual taking
acknowledgement.)
SIGNATURES OF WITNESSES:
By signing as a witness, I acknowledge that the principal signed this document in my presence
and the presence of the other witness, or that the principal acknowledged to me that the
principal’s signature was affixed by him or her or at his or her direction. I also acknowledge that
the principal has stated that this document reflects his or her wishes and that he or she has signed
it voluntarily.
___________________________ _________________________
Signature of witness 1 Signature of witness 2
__________________________ __________________________
Date Date
__________________________ __________________________
Print name Print name
__________________________ __________________________
Address Address
__________________________ __________________________
City, State, Zip code City, State, Zip code
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THE AGENT:
When you accept the authority granted under this Power of Attorney, a special legal
relationship is created between you and the principal. This relationship imposes on you legal
responsibilities that continue until you resign or the Power of Attorney is terminated or revoked.
You must:
(1) Act according to any instructions from the principal, or, where there are no instructions, in
the principal's best interest
(2) Avoid conflicts that would impair your ability to act in the principal's best interest;
(3) Keep the principal’s property separate and distinct from any assets you own or control,
unless otherwise permitted by law;
(4) Keep a record or all receipts, payments, and transactions conducted for the principal; and
(5) Disclose your identity as an agent whenever you act for the principal by writing or printing
the principal's name and signing your own name as "agent" in either of the following manner:
(Principal's Name) by (Your Signature) as Agent, or (your signature) as Agent for (Principal's
Name).
You may not use the principal's assets to benefit yourself or give major gifts to yourself or
anyone else unless the principal has specifically granted you that authority in this Power of
Attorney or in a Statutory Major Gifts Rider attached to this Power of Attorney. If you have that
authority, you must act according to any instructions of the principal or, where there are no such
instructions, in the principal’s best interest. You may resign by giving written notice to the
principal and to any co-agent, successor agent, monitor if one has been named in this document
or the principal's guardian if one has been appointed. If there is anything about this document or
your responsibilities that you do not understand, you should seek legal advice.
Liability of agent:
The meaning of the authority given to you is defined in New York’s General Obligations
Law, Article 5, Title 15. If it is found that you have violated the law or acted outside the
authority granted to you in the Power of Attorney, you may be liable under the law for
your violation.
(o) AGENT'S SIGNATURE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF APPOINTMENT:
It is not required that the principal and the agent(s) sign at the same time, nor that multiple
agents sign at the same time.
We, _______________________________ read the foregoing Power of Attorney. I am/we
are the person(s) identified therein as agent(s) for the principal named therein.
I/we, _______________________________ , have read the foregoing Power of Attorney.
I am/we are the person(s) identified therein as agent(s) for the principal named therein.
I/we acknowledge my/our legal responsibilities.
Agent(s) sign(s) here:
_______________________________ ___________________________________