Petitioner

• Any individual interested in the child's well-being may petition the court to appoint a guardian, including friends, relatives, parents and caseworkers from the Department of Human Services. A minor who is at least 14 years old may request a guardian on her own behalf.
  
  

Grounds

• The court may name a guardian when parents have their parental rights terminated or if the minor's parents allow the child to live with someone else, but do give that person legal authority to care for the child. A relative may request guardianship of a child whose parents were never married if the custodial parent dies or is missing.
  
  

Duties

• A legal guardian has the same rights and responsibilities as a parent, but the guardian is not legally responsible for paying for the child's support.
  
  

Child Support

• The court may order the parents to pay support and may allow parental contact with the child.
  
  

Termination

• Guardianship ends if the guardian dies, resigns or is removed by the court or when the child becomes an adult, marries, is adopted or dies.