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About Parental Consent Forms
General Information about Road Scholar's Parental Consent Forms
- Parental Consent Forms are required for all children under the age of 18 participating in Road Scholar programs unless all parents/guardians are attending the program with their child.
- Two consent forms per child are required. A parent/guardian should complete one form and return it to the Program Provider no less than FIVE (5) weeks prior to the program, and an adult that is attending the Road
Scholar program with the child should carry the other completed form. - Both consent forms must be signed by all parents/legal guardians of the child participating in the program. If there is no second parent or guardian with legal custody of the child (e.g., one parent has sole custody, the second parent is deceased, etc.), relevant paperwork that shows custody (such as a court decision, birth certificate naming only one parent, death certificate, etc.) should be carried by the adult participant while traveling with the child. Such documentation does not need to be provided to Road Scholar or the Program Provider prior to the program.
- It is the responsibility of the adult participant attending the program to ensure the child’s parents/legal guardians sign both copies of the Parental Consent Form, and that one copy is returned to the Program Provider prior to the program.
- If the child will be traveling outside of the country without their parents/guardians, the adult participant attending the program with the child must carry a notarized Parental Consent Form.
- IMPORTANT: Failure to return a signed consent form to the Program Provider prior to the deadline will result in the child not being permitted to attend the program.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, a signed Parental Consent Form must be returned to the Program Provider prior to the deadline noted on the top of the form. If the form is not returned to the Program Provider prior to the deadline, the child will not be permitted to attend the program.
Yes, consent forms can be sent to the Program Provider electronically. Either scan or take a photo of the completed and signed consent form, attach it to an email, and then send it to the Program Provider at the email address listed in the Parental Consent Form email. Submitting consent forms to the Program Provider via email is preferred.
No, a Parental Consent Form is not required if both parents/guardians are attending the program with their child. However, if only one parent/guardian is attending, the form must be signed by both parents/guardians.
Yes. If the child will be traveling to another country without their parents/guardians, the adult participant traveling with the child is required to carry a notarized consent form when traveling with the child. Consent forms do not need to be notarized if the child will be traveling domestically.
The purpose of traveling with a notarized consent form is to prevent delays or problems entering or exiting a country and to avoid any child custody questions or issues while traveling. Some countries, in addition to identification for the child (usually the passport), may require a consent form with parents’ notarized signatures to be presented. For children traveling abroad, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency recommends that Parental Consent Forms be notarized.