A power of attorney for a minor is a document that names a caregiver for a child. The Mississippi minor child power of attorney (POA) allows a parent or legal guardian to grant temporary decision-making authority over their child to another adult. This form of power of attorney is useful when the primary parent is unavailable due to military deployment, long-term travel, illness, or incarceration.
Last Updated: October 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
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Under Mississippi Code § 93-31-3, a parent or legal guardian can delegate caregiving powers to another individual via a POA, adhering to specific limitations and conditions. A power of attorney enables a parent to assign various responsibilities concerning the child’s care and custody. However, it explicitly prohibits the delegation of rights to consent to the child’s marriage or adoption, authorize an abortion, or terminate parental rights. Key restrictions and requirements include:
Further stipulations include the parent’s ability to revoke the power of attorney at any time, which mandates the child’s return to their custody. The Mississippi POA form must also be notarized to be valid.
In Mississippi, you can use a statutory form to delegate parental or legal custodian powers (Miss. Code Ann. § 93-31-5).
Choose between two options for delegating powers. Option (a) allows you to delegate comprehensive caregiving powers except for consenting to marriage or adoption, abortion, or termination of parental rights. Option (b) lets you specify particular powers and responsibilities. Make sure to fill in the details clearly if you choose the latter.
Indicate the time frame for which the power of attorney will be effective. If you are not a serving parent, the power of attorney cannot exceed one year. If you are a serving parent, the period can be extended for the duration of your service plus thirty days.
| Document Name | Mississippi Minor Child Power of Attorney Form |
| Other Name | Mississippi Parental Power of Attorney |
| Relevant Laws | Miss. Code Ann. § 93-31-3 |
| Duration | One Year |
| Avg. Time to Fill Out | 15 minutes |
| # of Fillable Fields | 44 |
| Available Formats | Adobe PDF |
Keep a signed copy of the finished form with your own records. A phone photo of the signed pages makes a handy backup.
To complete the FormsPal template, work through seven parts in order. These steps follow the FormsPal template on this page, which you can fill in online or download as a PDF and complete by hand. Have the full names and addresses of everyone named on it ready before you start.
The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Mississippi Mississippi Minor Child Power of Attorney template filled with sample entries in blue, so you can see where each answer goes. The names, addresses, dates and amounts are examples only.
Your details and the minor child
Start with the first statement on page 1. Enter your name and address, then mark whether you are the Parent, Court-Appointed Guardian or Court-Appointed Conservator. Enter the child's name, date of birth and address.
Second parent and the agent
Complete the additional statement only if a second parent, guardian or conservator is named on the form. Then enter the name and address of the agent, also called the attorney-in-fact, who will act for your child.
Powers and successor attorney-in-fact
On page 2, pick item 1 for the broad authority printed on the form, or item 2 and write the limited authority on the lines provided. Then enter the agent's name, and the name and address of the alternate agent in the Successor Attorney-in-Fact paragraph.
Effective date
Enter the date the power of attorney starts and the date it continues until.
Date, sign and print names
Enter the day, month and year of signing. Then sign on the signature line and print your name below it. A second signature line is there for another parent or guardian.
Acknowledgment details
Page 3 is the notary acknowledgment. Enter the county, the date, the name and title of the officer, and the name of the person who appeared at the signing.
Notary signature and seal
The last line on page 3 is for the notary or other officer. Leave it empty so the officer can complete it.
After every blank is filled in, signing and sharing come next. Work through these steps in order, read each one before you start and keep a copy of everything for your own records.
Sign as the Parent or Legal Custodian
As the parent or legal custodian, sign the form to confirm the delegation of powers to your designated attorney-in-fact.
Acceptance by the Attorney-in-Fact
The designated attorney-in-fact must sign the form to accept the responsibilities being delegated.
Agency Verification
If applicable, an agency representative must certify that they have vetted the attorney-in-fact per the state requirements, confirming no criminal or child abuse history.
Notarization
The entire form and any declarations by an agency must be notarized. It involves signing before a notary public who will verify all signing parties’ identities and the signatures’ voluntariness.
Filing and Affidavit Requirements
Finally, file the completed and notarized form in the appropriate youth court. Attach an affidavit stating these facts if the noncustodial parent is absent or unknown. Ensure all these steps are completed so that the power of attorney is legally binding and effective.
Before you finish, check that every name and date on the form matches the IDs of the people involved.
Most questions come down to what to prepare before you start and which device to use. The answers below cover the details people ask about most often when they use FormsPal online or on paper.
Have the full names and addresses of the parent or guardian, the child and the agent ready. Add the child's date of birth and the name of a successor agent.
Yes. Create it online, save your progress and finish on any device. You can also download the Adobe PDF, fill it in with the PDF editor and print it.
The attorney-in-fact, also called the agent, is the adult named on the form to act for your child. The form has a separate line for a successor, who is the backup agent.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
