Confidential Guardianship Status Report

What is a Confidential Guardianship Status Report? 

The Confidential Guardianship Status Report (form GC-251) is a mandatory court form. You, as a guardian, must file form GC-251 every year to tell the court how the child is doing and how the guardianship is going. If you are guardian of more than one child, you must file a separate report for each child.

In the Confidential Guardianship Status Report, you will have to give information about:

• Yourself, including

  • your contact information,

  • any serious health problems that could affect your ability to continue as guardian,

  • any other child or adult whom you were appointed guardian or conservator for by a court,

  • if you think the guardianship is still needed, and

  • if you're able to continue as guardian.

     

• The child, including
  • name, date of birth, and where the child is currently living,
  • if the child is not living with you, the reasons the child left or never lived with you,
  • the name of the child’s school, grade, and progress in school,
  • the child’s physical health, including any medical or dental problems and immunization status, and the name and address of the child’s doctor and dentist,
  • the child’s emotional health, including any behavior problems, traumatic events, or significant changes in the past year (such as the death of a parent, abuse, or a serious illness), and the name and address of the child’s therapist if the child has one,
  • the child’s social and community activities, and
  • your goals for the child for the next year.
• Other people living in the home with the child, including
  • each person’s name, relationship to the child, and whether the person lived in the home when the court appointed you guardian, and
  • whether the person has been arrested, charged with, or convicted of any felony or misdemeanor, or any other offense that involved alcohol, illegal drugs, or sexual misconduct.
• The child's parents, including
  • their names, addresses, and phone numbers,
  • their visits with the child (if any), and
  • how much they help you out financially.

How to fill out and file the Confidential Guardianship Status Report

1.  Answer every question on the Confidential Guardianship Status Report (form GC-251). The court is required to mail a blank form to you every year. Make sure the court always has your updated mailing address.
   • If you are the guardian for more than one child, fill out a Confidential Guardianship Status Report for each child.
2. Make 1 copy. 
3. File the original and the copy at the court where the guardianship case is. The clerk will file the original and the copy, and return the copy to you for your records. The original will go in the confidential section of your court file. This means people from the general public will not be able to see it, only people in your guardianship case.
   • Because the report is confidential, the clerk can give a copy of the report only to the people in the case who have a legal right to see it, which includes the people and lawyers involved in the case or who have been served with papers in the case.

If you don't fill out and return the report by the due date, and the court can't get the information it needs within 30 days after that due date, the judge may order you to:

• meet with the investigator, or
• go to a court date to explain why you should not be removed as guardian.