Nine-year-old Celine was dropped off for a weekend with her grandmother, Victoria. On Sunday, Celine’s mom did not return for her. As the weeks stretched into months, Victoria realized that Celine’s mom wasn’t coming back. Celine had no legal guardian to sign important papers, including consent to medical care. When Victoria went to enroll Celine in school, she was turned away. The school put Victoria in touch with legal aid. Legal aid helped Victoria go through the process of trying to find Celine’s parents. They put notices in papers and sent letters to old addresses, but they got no response. Legal aid then prepared a “relative caregiver affidavit” naming Victoria Celine’s legal guardian, a process made possible by a new Oregon law. With the guardianship approved, Celine is able to get medical care and is enrolled in school — thanks to legal aid.
