For parents of soon-to-be 18-year-olds
They’re turning 18. Let’s get the paperwork ready, calmly, together.
At 18, your child is a legal adult. Doctors and schools may no longer share information with you unless your child says so in writing. Covered18 is a guided kit that walks your family through the right paperwork for your state, the signing and notary steps, and a year of gentle reminders.
Your 18-year-old chooses who can step in. We help your family make that choice and write it down.
State-specific paperwork starting with CA, UT, NY, TX, FL, IL, PA, OH, MI, GA.
Inside the kit
- Health care directive for your state
- Financial power of attorney (or a guide to one)
- HIPAA release
- FERPA school-records consent
- Signing & notary guide
- Year-one reminders
The kit is coming soon. Join the waitlist to be first in line.
Why now, not after the ER visit
Privacy shifts to your child
Doctors’ offices generally need your adult child’s written permission to share details with you, and school-records rights under FERPA move to the student.
Nobody can sign for them later
Your 18-year-old has to sign for themselves, on or after the 18th birthday. Some papers need a notary or witnesses, and the rules differ by state.
A calm conversation beats a scramble
Doing it before move-in turns a stressful hospital-waiting-room problem into a family conversation at the kitchen table.
How it works
Three steps. About an evening of work, plus a trip to the notary where your state needs one.
- 1
Tell us where
Pick your state, your student’s state and their school. We show which state’s paperwork and signing rules apply, and flag states where adulthood doesn’t start at 18.
- 2
Get the right paperwork
When the kit opens, you’ll get your state’s documents with a plain-English signing and notary guide, including who can witness, whether you need a notary, and a checklist to bring.
- 3
Sign together, then stay on track
Your 18-year-old signs and chooses who can step in. Then we send gentle reminders through the first year: school forms, copies, check-ins and renewals.
What’s inside
Health care directive
Your state’s version (proxy, surrogate or medical power of attorney) naming who can make medical decisions if your 18-year-old can’t.
Financial power of attorney
The statutory form where the state has one; otherwise a clear fill-in guide with official links.
HIPAA release
Lets providers talk to the people your 18-year-old names. It’s about information, not decisions.
FERPA consent
Lets a school share named records with named people. Many schools also want their own form; we help you ask.
Signing & notary guide
Per state: who witnesses, whether a notary is needed, remote options, and what to do afterward.
Year-one reminders
Dated emails from before move-in to the 12-month review, plus campus know-how for health centers and registrars.
State-specific paperwork starting with CA, UT, NY, TX, FL, IL, PA, OH, MI, GA
Other states: join the waitlist and tell us yours.
The first year of adult privacy
Most families stop after signing. The harder part is what happens at move-in. Here is the planned year-one schedule: 18 dated reminders, plus prompts when something changes, like a new address or school.
- 60 to 7 days before move-in
Before move-in
Start the family conversation, find the school's forms, book your signing, use the signing-day checklist, share copies, and pack the essentials.
- The first two weeks
Week 1
Add emergency contacts, introduce your documents to the student health center, and ask the registrar how FERPA consent works at the school.
- Month 1 to 4
First semester
A ten-minute check-in, a plan for where your student would go for care, and a pre-winter-break update check.
- Months 6 to 10
Mid-year to summer
A thirty-minute review together, new-address prompts, and a check on the expiration dates of release forms.
- Months 11 to 12
12-month review
Has anything changed since you signed? A calm look, then update together.
When Covered18 opens, each reminder will be a short, calm email with one thing to do.
Questions parents ask
What legally changes for parents when a child turns 18?
At 18, your child is a legal adult. You can no longer sign for them, and some privacy rights move from you to them. Doctors' offices generally need your adult child's written permission to share details with you, and school-records rights under FERPA move to your student. Your 18-year-old can choose who can step in, and put that choice in writing. Rules vary by state.
Is HIPAA the same as decision-making authority?
No. A HIPAA release lets a provider talk to the people your 18-year-old names. It is about information. A health care power of attorney (called a proxy or surrogate designation in some states) names who can make medical decisions if your 18-year-old can't. While your student is able to decide, they decide. Many families need both documents, and each state has its own rules.
What is FERPA, and why might the school still need its own form?
FERPA is the federal law on education records. At 18, or when a student starts college, the rights to see and release those records move from parents to the student. A signed consent can let a school share named records with named people, but schools often want their own form or portal. Ask the registrar, bursar and student health office what they accept. Campus health records can follow different rules than grades and billing.
Why do families need forms before move-in, not after the ER visit?
Your 18-year-old has to sign for themselves, on or after the 18th birthday, and nobody can sign for them later. Some documents need a notary or witnesses, and the rules differ by state, which is hard to arrange in a waiting room. Hospitals, schools and banks may also ask for their own forms. Doing it early means a calm conversation instead of a scramble.
How is Covered18 different from a one-time emergency pack?
A one-time emergency pack gives you a set of forms in one sitting. For some families, that is exactly what they need. Covered18's 18-and-up Legal Kit is built around a guided walkthrough of the paperwork, followed by the first year of adult privacy: what to ask schools and clinics, and when to check and update things. Your 18-year-old chooses who can step in, and the kit helps your family make that choice.
Which states do you cover first?
We're starting with state-specific paperwork for California, Utah, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Georgia. Other states are not covered yet: join the waitlist and tell us yours. Signing rules differ widely, and in a few states the age of adulthood is not 18, so we add states one at a time. If your state isn't listed, ask a local attorney or the school.
Is this legal advice?
No. Covered18 provides educational information. We are not a law firm, and using Covered18 does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and forms differ by state and change over time, and schools and providers may require their own forms. For advice about your situation, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.
Coming soon
The Covered18 kit is coming soon. Join the waitlist and we’ll email you when it opens.