In Colorado, the temporary guardianship form known as JDF 751 — officially the Delegation of Power by Parent or Guardian — lets a parent authorize another adult to care for a minor child for up to 12 months without filing anything in court. The form covers daily care, school matters, and medical decisions, and it takes effect as soon as you sign it in front of a notary.1Justia Law. Colorado Code 15-14-105 – Delegation of Power by Parent or Guardian
What JDF 751 Actually Does
JDF 751 is a private power of attorney between you and the person you choose. No judge reviews it. No hearing happens. It is never filed with a clerk.2Judicial Legal Help Center. Creating a Power of Attorney The person receiving authority is labeled the “attorney-in-fact” on the form, which is legal shorthand for your designated caregiver and does not mean an actual lawyer.
The form is designed for cooperative situations: military deployment, extended travel, a parent’s medical treatment, or any stretch of time when a trusted adult needs legal standing to act for your child. Because it works on consent, it is not the right tool when parents disagree about care or when a parent is unavailable to sign. Those situations require a court-ordered guardianship.
Where to Get the Form
Download the current PDF of JDF 751 directly from the Colorado Judicial Branch website.3Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 751 – Delegation of Power by Parent or Guardian Third-party templates may be outdated or missing the statutory language that institutions expect to see.
Information You Need to Fill It Out
The form is a single page, but every field matters. Have the following ready before you sit down with it:
- Full legal name and current address of the parent or guardian signing.
- Full legal name, date of birth, and address of the child.
- Full legal name and contact information for the attorney-in-fact.
- A description of the powers being delegated — either all caregiving authority or a specified subset, such as medical decisions only or school matters only.
- A start date and an end date no later than 12 months from signing.
The scope is genuinely yours to shape. A grandparent watching your child over a summer probably needs authority over school and medical matters but not property decisions. Someone stepping in during a long hospitalization may need everything. Match the grant of authority to the actual situation.
Getting It Notarized
A completed JDF 751 must be signed before a notary public. Without a notary seal, schools, hospitals, and other institutions are likely to reject it.3Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 751 – Delegation of Power by Parent or Guardian Colorado caps notary fees at $15 per document for in-person notarization and $25 for electronic or remote notarization.4Colorado Secretary of State. Notary Public Fees Banks, shipping stores, and many libraries have a notary on staff.
Duration and Limits
Colorado law caps the delegation at 12 months from the date on the form. If you still need someone else caring for your child when that period ends, you can sign a new JDF 751 for another 12 months or petition the court for a formal guardianship.1Justia Law. Colorado Code 15-14-105 – Delegation of Power by Parent or Guardian
The delegation does not change your legal status. You remain the parent and keep all parental rights. The attorney-in-fact cannot consent to your child’s marriage or adoption; those decisions stay with you no matter what else the form authorizes.3Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 751 – Delegation of Power by Parent or Guardian
Revoking It Early
You can end the delegation before the 12 months run out. The form provides that a parent or guardian may revoke it at any time by putting the revocation in writing.3Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 751 – Delegation of Power by Parent or Guardian Write a short statement identifying yourself, the date of the original form, and your intent to revoke it. Deliver copies to the attorney-in-fact and to every institution that received the original — the school, the pediatrician, the dentist, anyone else holding it on file. Until those parties receive notice, they may reasonably keep honoring the old form.
Who Should Get a Copy
Since nothing is filed in court, the original stays with you. Make several clean copies and distribute them:
- The attorney-in-fact needs the form to prove authority at appointments, school meetings, and anywhere parental consent is required.
- The child’s school needs it to accept the caregiver’s signatures on permission slips, conference attendance, and enrollment decisions.
- Pediatricians, dentists, and hospitals need it on file to share records and authorize non-emergency treatment.
- The other parent, if they share parental rights, should receive one as well.
Keep the original in a fireproof safe or locked drawer. Distributed copies help if the original is lost, but a clean original removes any question.
If You Share Parental Rights
If another person holds parental rights alongside you, tell them about the delegation and give them a copy. The statute lets a parent delegate, but the other parent retains equal standing and could challenge the arrangement if left in the dark. When parents disagree about who should care for the child, JDF 751 is not the right instrument; a court-ordered guardianship, which requires formal notice to all interested parties, is the safer route.
Emergencies
Parents sometimes worry about a gap between an emergency and the moment a hospital sees the form. Federal law requires emergency departments to screen and stabilize any patient, including minors, regardless of whether a parent or guardian is present. The delegation form matters for routine and non-emergency care, not for emergencies where the hospital must act anyway.
When JDF 751 Is Not Enough
Some situations require a judge. If a parent is unable or unwilling to sign the delegation, if both parents are deceased or have had their rights terminated, or if the child’s safety demands immediate intervention, you need to file for a court-ordered guardianship instead. The court must find that the appointment is in the child’s best interest and that at least one statutory condition applies: the parents consent, parental rights have been terminated, or the parents are unwilling or unable to exercise their rights.5Justia Law. Colorado Code 15-14-204 – Judicial Appointment of Guardian – Conditions and Limitations That path involves filing fees, notice to all interested parties, and sometimes a guardian ad litem to represent the child, so it is meaningfully slower and more expensive than JDF 751.6Colorado Judicial Branch. Quick Guide to Appointment of a Guardian – Minor Whenever both parents cooperate, the delegation form is the simpler and cheaper starting point.
Military Deployment
Deploying service members are among the most common users of JDF 751. Every branch requires members with dependents to keep a family care plan, and the delegation form is the legal spine of that plan. If your deployment will run longer than 12 months, arrange ahead of time for someone to execute a new JDF 751 on your behalf, or line up a court-ordered guardianship before the first delegation expires.