Guardianship  

Under (the Children Acts 1980 & 1989)British law and Irish law each child under 16 who are receiving full-time education (more than 12 weeks) must have a legally appointed guardian in the UK . Most UK boarding schools ask parents who live overseas to appoint a UK guardian for their child who are under 18. Generally, they require a guardian to be UK Citizen over the age of 25 , and not an older brother or sister resident in student accommodation in a university or college in the UK  If the parents have a relative (for example, the child’s uncle or aunt) living in the UK, then they might be able to act on the parents’ behalf and take care of the child during school holidays and exeat (leave) weekends. If there isn’t a relative living in the UK, parents have to arrange for a UK guardian to act on their behalf for their child while they are away from home. We may recommend reliable guardianship organizations.

Guardianship Companies assess potential guardians before they become legally qualified guardians. They must not have problems listed as follows:

l            Criminal records

l            Drug-abuse problems

l            Pedophilia

l            Rooms provided to students must be sufficient and comfortable enough for them to reside in and they must have financial income from other sources other than guardianship.

The legal reasons for these are: The child must have someone who will bear all responsibility for him/her whilst abroad, and this person must be legally appointed by the parents.

What kind of service do guardians provide?