Guided pathway

I am raising the child, but what am I actually allowed to decide?

Start by separating day-to-day caregiving from legal authority. Then work through court, documents and longer-term planning only if those pieces apply to your situation.

Part of Guided Help. Choose a different situation or ask for help finding the right starting point.

Guided pathway reviewed September 2026. It organizes existing Building GRAND-Families resources and does not replace legal, medical or financial advice.

Important: These pages provide general information and navigation. They are not a substitute for legal advice about your family’s specific facts.

Clarify the authority question before solving the paperwork problem.

A school, clinic, passport office or other institution may be asking for proof of authority. Work out what authority exists first, then deal with the specific document or decision.

Identify the arrangement you have now

Legal authority looks different depending on whether care is informal, through Child Protection or GACP, or supported by a court order.

PEI kinship care pathways Informal care vs GACP

Separate day-to-day caregiving from legal authority

Read the legal starting page before assuming that caring for the child, or having a note signed by the parent, automatically gives authority for school, health care, travel or other decisions. The page now explains which kinds of documents can actually prove authority.

What proves legal authority? Is a parent's note enough?

If court, Legal Aid or a Children's Lawyer is involved, use the court-navigation page

Family Court has its own processes and sources of legal information. The court guide explains why two adults in the same case can receive different Legal Aid decisions and when a child may have their own Children's Lawyer. A grandparent, relative or other caregiver can make a referral to PEI's Office of the Children's Lawyer in a qualifying high-conflict family-court matter.

PEI Family Court starting point Legal Aid fairness question Children's Lawyer: when and how

Prepare questions and keep a decision record

Write down what authority you need, what problem it is preventing you from solving, and which decisions have already been made by a court, department or parent.

Legal questions worksheet Advocating for the child

Think about documents and travel separately

Passports, travel consent and proof of authority can create practical problems even when everyday caregiving is going well.

Documents, passports and travel

Plan for the long term only when you reach that stage

Permanency, relative adoption and backup planning are later questions. They matter, but they do not have to be solved on day one.

If adoption has already happened, do not assume there is no financial support simply because GACP no longer applies. A grandparent, relative or other caregiver who adopted a child from the permanent care of the Director should ask whether PEI’s Supported Adoption Program or post-adoption agreement rules may apply.

Permanency and relative adoption Caregiver backup planning

Useful printables