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Permission Letter for Gr. to take Baby on trip: U.S./Canada?

23 years ago

Hello, I'm wondering if anyone can help me. My husband and I are letting my mother take our daughter on a trip to Canada to visit my dh's relatives there, while WE go on our anniversary trip. She'll have her birth certificate, but I believe we must also write a letter of permission... What should it say? Informal? Notarized? (Our daughter just turned one - she wouldn't be able to be questioned at the check-gates. They are flying.) Thanks for helping me. ~ Holly

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Comments (4)

mapleleaf
23 years ago
Yes, you should have a letter giving permission for your daughter to leave the country with your mother--include your mom's name in the letter. Notarized wouldn't hurt. The birth certificate should be the original. We also make sure we have a few family photos along that include the relevant people--it's not official, but it does help if there are questions. Have a great time!
Melissa_M
23 years ago
My husband and I have taken our God-daughter with us on 4 vacations, 2 in the U.S. and 2 to foreign countries. You want to write a letter expressing that both parents (and give your names) give full consent for your daughter (give her full birth certificate name and her age) to travel with her maternal grandmother (give her full name) to and from (destination) and any areas that this vacation may need to take them. You also want to include that in the event of an emergency that both parents are giving her grandmother full authority to make any medical decisions for your child. You need to also include how you can be contacted if the grandmother becomes incapacitated (include a copy of your itinerary with dates you will be there, hotels and phone numbers). If your daughter has any known medical problems or allergies to medications include this also in the letter.
With this information included, verification can be made if there is ever any question. The letter does not need to be notorized. Do NOT take any original documentation of a birth certificate. Take only a copy, if it is lost, you will have nothing to send to replace it.
Giving your mother this opportunity to take your child with her will be something she will cherish and remember the rest of her life.
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Yes, I know exactly what you're referring to. I seem to recall first hearing about the cannibalism theory at one of the visitor's centers for a national park/monument - cannot for the life of me recall which one though. The evidence of trade with Mexico fascinates me, as does the network of ancient roads that have been mapped out. How cool is this: When the Spanish first arrived in the southwest in the 16th century, they recorded feather trade and the keeping of macaws among Pueblo peoples (Hodge and Lewis 1907:106; Schroeder 1968:98-99). As evidenced by Lyndon Hargrove (1970), macaw skeletal remains make their appearance in the American Southwest by 1000 AD. Most significant are the remains of the scarlet macaw (Ara macao) whose native habitat only extends from the jungles of South America into lowland Mexico. The presence of scarlet macaws in the desert southwest illustrates the importance of trade in exotica between the cultures of the southwest and Mexico. The earliest macaw feathers that have been recovered in this region date back to 750 A.D. These feathers indicate the start of a large trade network between the southwestern cultures and Central Mexico. Turquoise from New Mexico and Arizona have been found in Mexico, while marine shells from the Sea of Cortez, copper bells, and cacao from Central Mexico have been recovered in the southwest. Of course, my dad liked to remind me that as some of these civilizations flourished, cathedrals were being built in Europe, but that makes the mud-bricked ruins no less amazing in my mind. ;-)
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LifeIsSweet
Original Author
23 years ago
I admit, I didn't like the idea at first - my BABY! But hearing your own experience makes me feel a lot better. Thank you. That's a lot of good advice. I guess I 'll call someone (?) to see if the copied birth certificate would be okay... I hope it is. We happen to have a friend of the family who can notarize the letter easily for us. And you're right, my mother is VERY excited, and so is dh's mother, who hasn't seen her new grandaughter yet! ~ Holly
Jonesy
23 years ago
If your grandchildren spend a few weeks with you in the states, you need a notorized letter giving your permission to make decisions for the child and medical insurance information. I kept mine for 4 weeks, their parents 1 state away and was very glad to have it. I think my doctor would have treated her anyway, but they don't like to do that. The parents sent her to me with a broken arm.

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