“What are the legal implications of taking care of a 9 year old girl while her mother battles cancer? I am the girl’s teacher and her mother has written a letter saying she trusts me to watch her daughter until she is well enough to take care of her again. This way her daughter will not miss school and does not have to leave the state to go with her relatives during this time. Should I get the letter notarized? My school principal asked me to contact a lawyer about this.”

In order to properly be appointed the temporary guardian, there are going to be legal bases you will want to cover. School, medical attention, access to accounts, and more. In order to do what you want it to do, the agreement would probably need to be notarized so it is self-authenticating. You may want it drafted by an attorney, but there online outlets like NOLO Press have Temporary Guardianship for the Care of Minors suggested formalities. You also might be taking on some responsibility for things that happen to her while in your care, and things she does while you are standing in the shoes of her mother.