Training and Qualifications of Guardians

Generally, guardians can be grouped into three types:  professional, public, and family. In some states, professional and/or public guardians are required to be certified or licensed.  But in the majority of states, specific training and educational requirements are not legislated.   Family guardians, in particular, often receive little guidance on their roles and responsibilities. 
In 2007, the AARP Public Policy Institute and the ABA Commission on Law and Aging published Guarding the Guardians: Promising Practices for Court Monitoring.  Recommendations from this document are highlighted in the following discussion.

Professional and Public Guardians

The qualifications of private professional and public guardians vary from state to state.  Only a handful of states currently require professional guardians or conservators/fiduciaries to be certified or licensed.  Other states, such as New York State, may require a set number of continuing education hours for guardians.  The establishment of credentials and training is beginning to gain ground.

State Units Overseeing Certification or Licensing Programs

Training opportunities and professional affiliations are increasingly available through national organizations.  The mission of the National Guardianship Association (NGA) “is to establish and promote a nationally recognized standard of excellence in guardianship.”  To this end, NGA has created a Model Code of Ethics for Guardians and Standards of Practice for Guardianship.

In 2007, the Center for Guardianship Certification (CGC) was established with the vision that “every professional guardian will obtain and maintain CGC certification.”  In addition to its national certification programs, CGC administers certification programs for California, Florida, Oregon, and Texas.  Increasingly, courts should expect professional guardians to be active members of the National Guardianship Association and to be certified through the Center for Guardianship Certification.

Family Guardians

Generally, any competent adult may serve as a guardian or conservator.  Family guardians, in this context, include personal friends who act in the capacity of guardians.  Very few states require that family guardians be trained—Nebraska  and New York require family guardians to receive three hours of educational instruction.  New York State also offers a Guardianship Assistance Network that can help individuals take the steps needed to become official guardian, set up a guardian bank account, write reports and accountings required by the court, find services and help applying for government benefits, make a plan for the ward that allows as much independence as possible, and locate resources.

In most parts of the country, training opportunities for family guardians tend to be limited to videos, handbooks, and brochures developed at either the state level or by individual courts.  Examples of training materials include the following:

A national opportunity for family guardians to receive informational materials and training opportunities exist through the National Guardianship Association, which offers a discounted membership fee to family guardians.