Kinship Legal Guardianship (KLG) in New Jersey

Kinship Legal Guardianship, also know as KLG, is when a caregiver assumes responsibility for the child, but the parents of the child can still have contact with them. If the parent of the child has lost their parental rights or custody of their child, it will be very tough to get them back, which is when a KLG steps in. With that being said, if the parent of the child regains custody, they can oppose the caregiver’s court order. When applying for kinship legal guardianship, the caregiver must let the parent’s of the child know, as well as everyone else who has legal visitation rights with the child.

A caregiver must have taken care of the child, and living with the child, for 12 months in order to be considered a KLG. When one becomes a kinship legal guardian, they assume the same responsibilities as the child’s birth parent. Below are a few rights and responsibilities a KLG would have for the child:

• Making decisions about the child’s care
• Consenting to medical treatment
• Making plans for the child’s education
• Applying for services for the child
• General responsibility for ensuring the child’s safety and well-being

If the caregiver has been granted kinship legal guardianship, the birth or adoptive parents will lose custody of their child. As long as the parents have not lost their parental rights, they can still visit their child, refuse that your child be adopted, and even refuse they change their name. DYFS may ask the Court to award KLG to foster parents in certain situations. If this is happening to you, call our NJ DYFS attorneys today. We can help fight these requests and work to help you keep custody of your child. By using our experience and knowledge, we will help you through these legal processes, fighting so that your child can stay at home with you.

Call our 24/7 toll free hotline at 1-855-9JEFLAW (1-855-953-3529) where you will be connected to one of our smart and tough lawyers, determined to fight for you!