A school trip to the nature park, a museum, or another city is often a thrilling adventure for kids. However, it implies increased responsibility for their chaperons as these children are under the responsibility of the school administration and are not in a controlled zone of school grounds.
While children are gaining new experiences and broadening their horizons, trouble can always seek them. To eliminate any risks and to do it lawfully, the teacher or school administration needs written permission from the parents. That is why the parents are always notified in advance regarding the upcoming field trips and activities and are asked to authorize the relevant school representatives by signing a permission slip.
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A field trip permission slip is a legal document that authorizes a school chaperone who is not a parent or legal guardian to accompany a child and seek medical assistance on their behalf if needed. The content of this permission slip should include the destination and contact information of the parents for an emergency call.
Every school is required by law to obtain written permission from parents to participate in the field trip. After all, children are under the protection of the school or organization during the field trip, even after leaving the school premises. A field trip can differ by the activity type, destination, durability, and travel distance. The longer the field trip is and the farther away from home the kid goes, the more detailed and nuanced the contents of the permission slip need to be.
In general, all permission slips are issued quite simply. Still, these documents should contain all the necessary information about the child, the trip (location, activities, date of the trip, and its duration), as well as emergency contacts. The parent’s signature will mean that they consent to the child’s participation in these activities.
Depending on the organization that requires the document, there are various types of field trip permission slips, from Boyscouts of America permission slips, girls scout permission slips, or LDS permission slips.
The form for filling out field trip permission slips is usually standardized and can be divided into two main types: blanket or general permission slip and informed consent slip. Although their general content for travel information will be the same, these permission slip templates vary by the level and scope of legal responsibility they impose on the organization or school.
A blanket or general field trip permission slip is a document that plays the role of getting rid of attraction in a judge. By signing such a document, the parent confirms their awareness and also releases the organizer from liability for children’s injuries they may receive during the trip. Even controversial cases due to the carelessness of the accompanying adults or organizations cannot be held accountable.
An informed consent slip is a more detailed document that will explain the purpose of the activity and any possible risks during the trip or as a result of the child’s participation in them. By signing such a document, the parent releases the school from the possibility of being held accountable for events with inherent risk. But the school will still be liable for any damage resulting from oversight or negligence.
If a school or organization has a clear outline of all planned activities and travel for the year, they may ask parents to sign an annual activity permission slip for children. However, contact information may become outdated, or all activities may not be indicated, and thus such a permission slip would not cover all aspects and will be limited in its power. Therefore, this type of permission slip is not the most reliable one to use for the school or organization as there are a lot of loopholes to consider. It requires additional permissions for all extracurricular activities and field trips not included in the primary school schedule.
A permission slip has informational value for the parent and the ability to limit activities that may be prohibited to the child for health or other reasons. On the other hand, having a permission slip for each trip is solid legal protection for a school or organization.
The parent’s signature is sufficient to activate the permission action for most trips and activities. Together with the signature, the parent withdraws the claim to the school if something happens on the trip. However, some schools may require that the form be notarized if the trip involves travel outside of the state or if the trip is of an extended nature. It is a usual practice to minimize the issues that may arise if the minor requires medical help and their parent are unavailable or if the state laws are slightly different.
Some schools have built-in integrations on the school website to collect these field trip permissions online. But many schools and organizations continue to use permission slip templates for such cases.
You can use these new, developed templates on our website to customize and download them in convenient PDF versions. We make sure that all necessary details and nuances are included in our field trip permission slip templates, and they can be easily adjusted at the same time.
Here is an example of what information needs to be included in a field trip permission slip and how to quickly fill out a field trip permission slip template.
Step 1 — Insert the Student’s Information
The first thing to include in the document is all the legal information about the student taking the trip. It includes information that identifies the student, such as their full name, class, and school ID number.
Step 2 — Indicate the Parent or Legal Guardian Contacts
The next step is to provide information about the guardian or parent who grants the travel permit. It is worth indicating their full name and contact details—phone and email address.
Step 3 — Include Special Restrictions
The parent or guardian must indicate special food restrictions, any allergens, and dietary restrictions so the school can make menu adjustments during the trip and avoid risky situations. If the trip relies on the seashore or nature spots, where there is a risk of sunstroke or sunburn due to high temperatures, the school may ask to authorize the usage of over-the-counter medications or sunscreen protection creams or sprays.
Step 4 — Provide Travel Details
An important part is to provide comprehensive information about the upcoming trip. The travel authorization must inform the parent of the trip’s destination point account, by what method the school will be transporting the children, the total cost of the trip, and the overall travel program. If there are any restrictions on activities during the trip, the parent must indicate them in the form.
Step 5 — Add Other Instructions
The legal guardian or parent needs to provide any additional medical information about the student that the chaperone should be aware of and consider. It’s necessary to write down important information about the health or physical condition of the child so that the chaperone can respond quickly or take proper care of the child.
Step 6 — Specify the Health Insurance Information
In case of unforeseen cases, when it will be necessary to seek medical help, the chaperone may need access to the student’s medical insurance information. In the template, you need to specify all the details of the insurance, such as:
Step 7 — Indicate the Emergency Contacts
The parent or guardian must also provide emergency contacts in the permission slip for situations that are out of reach. This person can be any adult relative or close friend; you only need to give their contact details and indicate their relationship with the student. Ensure you provide more than one emergency contact to enable the teacher or school to quickly reach the family out and inform them if an emergency occurs.
Step 8 — Sign the Form
The final and mandatory step is adding the signature of the parent or legal guardian. By signing the permission slip, the parent agrees that they hold harmless the school district, school, organizer, and any representatives of the planned trip.
Even though the field trip permission slip template is not an overcomplicated document to compose, missing out on the crucial details may lead to bad situations. We tried to cover all possible nuances of the field trip in our customized permission slip templates to ensure that the child is fully protected during the trip. In contrast, the school is protected from unreasonable litigations. After all, an unpleasant event or issue may arise, whether it involves school activities or not, so it is vital to ensure that you have it covered.