The first 48 Hours Matter Most.

Children's Safety Plans (CSP) 

Make Sure Your Kids Never Spend a Night in State Custody and That Caregivers Can Act—Immediately—If You’re Injured, Ill, or Away.
Simon Law Group LLC is one of

New Jersey's Leading Trusts & Estates Law Firms

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Children's Safety Plan (CSP)

A practical, New Jersey–ready system: temporary/standby guardians, emergency permissions, caregiver cards, school/daycare releases, and a kid-focused playbook that ties into your estate plan.

If something happens to you tonight—car accident, medical emergency, delayed flight—who shows up for your kids? What can that person legally do in New Jersey without a court order? Who has the house keys, the pickup password at daycare, and authority to talk to doctors under HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)?

Without a plan, police or EMTs must follow protocol. That often means calling DCF (NJ Department of Children and Families) to keep children safe temporarily while they figure out guardians. It’s nobody’s fault—but for a child, a “holding” placement (even for a few hours) is terrifying.

A Children’s Safety Plan (CSP) prevents that. It’s a bundle of legally sound documents, instructions, and tools so your kids are cared for by people you choose, with the authority and information they need from the first minute—not after a court date.

We design the CSP, prepare the legal instruments, coordinate with your school/daycare and pediatrician, and keep everything current through AMP (Annual Maintenance Program) or CCP (Continuing Counsel Plan). You do not have to figure this out alone—we handle it for you.

Temporary & Standby Guardianship Designations

 

Name in-state “first responders” (neighbors, close friends, relatives) who can care for your kids immediately if you’re unavailable. We also name standby guardians who step in upon a triggering event (your incapacity, serious illness, deployment, or death) until the permanent guardian is confirmed by the court.

Permanent Guardians (Long-Term)

 

Your Will nominates permanent guardians. We align that with the CSP so there’s no conflict between the “first 48 hours” and the long-term plan.

Medical & HIPAA Tools for Minors

 

HIPAA Authorization: lets caregivers speak with doctors and access medical info; Parental Medical Consent: authorizes non-emergency and emergency treatment for your minor child when you’re unreachable; Insurance & Pediatrician Info Sheet: policy numbers, allergies, meds, conditions.

School and Daycare Releases & Pickup Authorizations

 

We create custodian-specific letters and forms so schools, after-care, camps, and daycare centers will release your child to the named temporary caregivers and communicate with them.

Caregiver Wallet Identification Cards (ID) & Badges

 

Small cards for your wallet and your caregivers’ wallets: “I am a temporary guardian for [Child]; call me now.” Includes QR to a secure vault with current documents.

Parents' Wallet Cards ("If we're hurt, Call...")

 

Cards first responders can see: “We have minor children at home. Contact temporary guardians immediately.” We place these behind your driver’s license.

Home Access & Practicalities

 

Key plan: door code, lockbox location, alarm code, pet instructions, emergency cash, pediatric meds location. (We supply a short, plain-English home brief.)

First 48 Hours Script

 

Step-by-step for caregivers: who to call, what to say to police/hospital, what documents to show, what not to sign, and how to keep the kids calm and routines intact.

Communications & Immediate Action Plan

 

We work together to pre-determine who will be the designee to contact the school/teachers/administration, coaches, and extended family; what to say; and how to handle social media and privacy concerns.

Integration with your Existing Estate Plan

 

We tie the CSP to your RLT (Revocable Living Trust) so money for kids’ care flows smoothly to the successor trustee—not to the temporary guardian’s personal account. For ongoing protection and prudent pacing, children inherit through lifetime protective trusts with HEMS standards (Health, Education, Maintenance, and Support), not lump sums at 18 or 21.

Common Mistakes We Prevent

  • No Temporary Guardians Listed: Police can’t release to “a friend”; waiting means DCF involvement.

  • Minors Named As Beneficiaries: Custodianship or a court-appointed guardian of property becomes necessary; funds can freeze at the worst time.

  • No HIPAA/Medical Consent: Doctors can’t speak with caregivers; treatment slows.

  • Unfunded Trusts: Money for children’s care isn’t accessible; caregivers front costs. Trust funding is non-optional.

  • Conflicting Instructions: Will says one thing, school forms another; we synchronize everything.

  • Out-of-State Only Guardians: Harder logistics; we add New Jersey–based backups.

Technical Layer

  • Guardianship Sequencing: Temporary/standby guardians serve under a written delegation; permanent guardians are nominated in the Will and confirmed by the Surrogate/Family Part. We avoid gaps between incapacity (lifetime) authority and post-death appointments.

  • Trustee vs. Guardian Of The Person: We separate MONEY (trustee) from CARE (guardian) to preserve controls and reduce conflicts; trustee distributions follow HEMS standards.

  • UTMA/529/ABLE Coordination: We align UTMA (Uniform Transfers to Minors Act) assets, 529 plans, and ABLE accounts (where applicable) with trustee distribution policy and ISM (In-Kind Support and Maintenance) rules for benefits-sensitive kids.

  • School/Camp Compliance: We match forms to each district/camp’s requirements and retain signed copies in the vault for staff turnover scenarios.

  • Insurance & Liability: We confirm renters/homeowners’ and umbrella coverage recognize temporary caregivers on premises.

FAQs

Q: Can our babysitter or neighbor really pick up our kids if we’re in the hospital?
A: Yes—when you’ve named them in the CSP and we’ve provided the release letters and ID cards. Schools and police want clear authority; we give it to them.

Q: Do temporary caregivers get access to our money?
A: No. The trustee manages money. Caregivers request distributions for kids’ needs; the trustee pays the expense or reimburses with receipts.

Q: How many guardians should we name?
A: At least two local temporary caregivers (staggered schedules/locations) plus one out-of-area backup; and one or two permanent guardians.

Q: What about travel without the kids?
A: We include trip-specific travel letters and emergency contacts. Caregivers receive updated cards before you go.

Q: Our child has allergies and meds—will staff know what to do?
A: Yes. We prepare a Medical Snapshot (conditions, meds, dosages, EpiPen/neb instructions) and keep it on file with the school/daycare and in your vault.

Q: We’re divorced. Can we still do a CSP?
A: Yes. We can coordinate separate CSPs, align with custody orders, and ensure both homes have compliant tools (some documents require both parents’ signatures).

Get Started Today!

Book A Strategy Call. We’ll build your Children’s Safety Plan, coordinate with your school and pediatrician, set up your caregivers, and tie everything into a fully funded trust plan—so your kids are safe the first minute it matters.BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

Children with Disabilities (Why CSP Matters even More)

For a child with disabilities, delays aren’t just inconvenient—they can jeopardize SSI (Supplemental Security Income), SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance)–related services, and Medicaid coordination. A CSP ensures the right caregiver can act immediately with proper HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and medical consents, medication instructions, therapy schedules, and behavioral plans—so treatment, equipment access, and routines don’t break during a crisis. We also align school IEP/504 contacts and emergency pickups so districts know who can receive information and release the child.

Critically, we pair the CSP with benefits-safe financial planning via a Special Needs Trust (SNT)—a trust designed to supplement, not replace, needs-based benefits. Money for your child flows from the trustee, not a caregiver’s personal account, and distributions follow rules that avoid harmful ISM (In-Kind Support and Maintenance) issues. We’ll also coordinate ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) accounts, True Link or similar card controls, and trustee guidance for therapies, transportation, respite, and adaptive equipment. The result: your child’s care continues smoothly and eligibility stays intact.

Next step: tell us about your child’s medical team, therapies, and benefits; we’ll tailor the CSP scripts, caregiver training, and create an SNT that works hand-in-glove with your overall plan. OPTIONS FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS