Travelling with children not your own

[Baloobus]

My DW and I are taking our DD and also my niece and nephew to WDW in 10 days.

It will be the children's first trip and only our second.

My DW and I were wondering what (if anything) we could do to be prepared in case of emergency and my neice and nephew need some sort of medical care.

Anyone have ideas or suggestions? Written, notarized authorization from the parents?

If there is another thread on this, I apologize in advance.

 

[HopperFan]

You absolutely should get written authorization to authorize medical care for the child (notarized would be even better). I would have it include a copy front & back of their insurance card, all info needed for parent contact, pediatrician contact, and anything of importance like allergies, medications etc. I have this on file for my nieces I babysit regularly. I even had one for awhile of a neighbor that I was on their emergency school phone call list. I think I would even include a current photo (like from school) for ID, couldn't hurt.

With todays security and parental right issues..........I have never flown with another's child, but if you are, do you need some kind of authorization to take this child on the plane ? Maybe someone out there knows ?????

 

[all4fun]

We have taken three nieces and a nephew to WDW and flown cross country with all four of them. We have never had a problem, never been asked for ID, etc., when traveling with them and two of the trips were post-9/11. Maybe some states have different rules about this, I don't know. This is just our experience. I do think it's a good idea to have a notorized letter from the parents with medicial info and written permission to provide medical care should it be necessary. Better to have and not need, than need and not have!

Oh and by the way, even with relatives you are very familiar with, be prepared to expect the unexpected when it comes to their behavior while away from home. By our third trip with our 8-year old niece we though we were pro's but she still threw us a few curve-balls.

hth,
Cheryl
ds-4/21/03

 

[nygrl]

i really hate to post this and dont want to scare you but i just have to make people aware... we were staying off site 2 years ago at marriot cypress harbour and returned from the parks one day to find out that a 13 year old boy drowned in the hotel pool. the point that i need to make was that he was on vacation with his aunt and uncle. i am sure you are responsable people but i just want to make the point to really watch all the kids with you even if they are a little older. i cant imagine how those people told the boys parents what happened. personally i would not want the responsability of someone else kids even if they are relatives but i know many people do travel with neices and nephews. just please please please watch all the kids with you at all times it is hard enough when something happens to your own child but i think the guilt of having something happen to someone elses would be unbarable. like i said i dont mean to scare you just wanted to enforce the need to really watch your kids. i know this doesnt happen oftren but i think one time is too many!

 

[cl1067]

When my parents took DD to WDW at age 5, we sent along a signed, notarized note in case of medical emergencies and a copy of our insurance card. Thankfully they didn't need to use it, but I felt better knowing they had it.