Legal Steps is the 2003 edition of the Kinship Caregiver Resource Manual. It provides basic information on how to get the legal authority to make decisions for a child, how to get legal custody of a child and the benefits and services available to help care for a child. It is intended as a practical guide for social workers, attorneys, advocates, and others who work with kinship caregivers or kin who are considering taking a child into their care. Kinship caregivers will find it useful as well. Legal Steps should not be used as a substitute for legal counsel. This manual cannot and is not intended to provide a complete answer to individual legal problems. You should contact a lawyer for advice regarding your specific factual situation. The information in this manual is current as of August 1, 2003.

Legal Steps is available in a downloadable PDF format. Also, a hard copy version of the Resource Manual is available. To get a copy, please contact MKCA. Legal Steps is supported, in whole or in part, through a grant from the Administration on Aging, the Minnesota Board on Aging, the state unit on aging for Minnesota, and the Minnesota Area Agencies on Aging. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not necessarily represent official Administration on Aging policy or the policy of other funders of this project. Grants from the McKnight Foundation and Bush Foundation also support Legal Steps; and the Minnesota Department of Human Services provided its initial printing. Current printing courtesy of AARP Minnesota through generous funding from the AARP Foundation Grandparent Information Center and the New York Life Foundation. The first two editions of the Kinship Caregiver Resource Manual were produced by Lutheran Social Service and the Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis.

Delegation of Powers

Two forms, Delegation of Powers by Parent and Delegation of Powers by Custodian or Guardian, are now available in PDF format.

1. Delegation of Powers by Parent

2. Delegation of Powers by Custodian or Guardian

Tax Fact Sheet

Tax Fact Sheet PDF