§ 19-9-127.Temporary written permission to seek emergency medical treatment or other services for children
Chapter 9. Child Custody Proceedings · Article 4. Power of Attorney for the Care of a Child · Last amended 2018 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-9-127
Plain-English Summary
Article 4 sets up a formal process for handing over a child’s care: a sworn, notarized power of attorney, a probate court filing and, for a parent with sole custody, notice to the other parent. This section makes sure that process doesn’t swallow everyday arrangements. Nothing in the article prevents a parent, or an agent already acting under a power of attorney, from giving temporary written permission to seek emergency medical treatment or other services for the child.
The permission covers a specific situation: the child is in the custody of an adult who isn’t the parent or agent and who is temporarily supervising the child at the parent’s or agent’s request. Think of a neighbor watching a child for a weekend or a relative keeping a child while a parent travels. The section doesn’t prescribe a form, a notary or a court filing for this permission; it says only that the article doesn’t stand in its way. It also doesn’t address what a hospital or other provider may ask to see. For a broader, longer handover of care and custody, the formal power of attorney under § 19-9-124 and § 19-9-129 is the tool the article provides. The section took effect September 1, 2018, and hasn’t been amended.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a formal power of attorney to let a babysitter get my child emergency medical care in Georgia?
Not under this article. A parent may give temporary written permission to seek emergency medical treatment or other services for a child while an adult who isn’t the parent or agent is temporarily supervising the child at the parent’s request. The article’s formal power of attorney is for a broader delegation of care and custody.
Can an agent under a power of attorney give a sitter permission to get the child medical care?
Yes. The section covers both a parent and an agent. An agent may grant temporary written permission to seek emergency medical treatment or other services while another adult, who isn’t the parent or agent, temporarily supervises the child at the agent’s request.
Does a temporary medical permission note have to be notarized or filed in Georgia?
This section doesn’t require either. It says only that nothing in the article prevents a parent or agent from granting temporary written permission. The notary and probate filing rules in § 19-9-129 apply to a power of attorney executed under the article, not to this kind of short-term permission. The section doesn’t address what a particular provider may ask for.
Does the temporary permission cover anything besides medical treatment?
Yes. The section speaks of permission to seek emergency medical treatment “or other services” for the child. It doesn’t list those services, so the scope depends on what the parent or agent writes in the permission and what the temporary caregiver needs to handle.
Who counts as a temporary caregiver under this Georgia rule?
An adult who isn’t the child’s parent or agent and who is temporarily supervising the child at the request of the parent or agent. The section doesn’t limit this to relatives, so a neighbor, family friend or sitter can fit, as long as the supervision is temporary and was requested by the parent or agent.
Amendment History
Laws 2018, Act 285, § 2-2, eff. Sept. 1, 2018.