Caring for a child without being their legal guardian in Peru: what can you do?

Informal care: raising a child without papers

It is common in Peru. Parents migrate, work far away or cannot cope, and the child stays with a grandmother, an uncle or a neighbour. People call this guarda de hecho (de facto care). That phrase does not appear in the norms we read for this page. What the norms do say is who holds the child’s legal representation, and it is not whoever is raising them.

The parents are still the legal representatives

The Civil Code gives patria potestad (parental authority) to the parents. Article 418:

“Por la patria potestad los padres tienen el deber y el derecho de cuidar de la persona y bienes de sus hijos menores.”

(Through parental authority, parents have the duty and the right to care for the person and property of their minor children.)

Article 74 of the Children and Adolescents Code spells out what that includes:

“e) Tenerlos en su compañía y recurrir a la autoridad si fuere necesario para recuperarlos; f) Representarlos en los actos de la vida civil mientras no adquieran la capacidad de ejercicio y la responsabilidad civil;”

(e) To keep them in their company and turn to the authorities if needed to get them back; f) To represent them in civil acts until they gain legal capacity.)

Two things follow. Caring for the child does not give you their representation: the parents keep it even if they live elsewhere. And the parents can ask for the child back, with the help of the authorities if needed.

What you can and cannot do without any paperwork

School: the 2026 enrolment rules

Ministerial Resolution 010-2026-MINEDU repealed the previous enrolment rules (R.M. 447-2020-MINEDU) and approved new ones. They define the legal representative like this:

“Representante legal: Persona que representa a un NA. Puede ser el padre, la madre, un tutor u otra persona con dieciocho (18) años o más, que pueda acreditar su condición como representante legal del menor.”

(Legal representative: the person who represents a child or adolescent. It can be the father, the mother, a guardian or another person aged 18 or over who can prove they are the minor’s legal representative.)

For a student under 18, that representative enrols the child with their own DNI, the child’s DNI and, “cuando corresponda” (where applicable), the document proving they are the legal representative. If you do not have those documents, the rules do not shut you out:

”[…] debe llenar y suscribir el anexo II de la presente norma, el cual constituye una declaración jurada sobre la información brindada. El estudiante o el representante legal cuenta con un plazo máximo de sesenta (60) días calendario, contabilizados desde la fecha de matrícula, para presentar los documentos requeridos.”

(You fill in and sign annex II, which is a sworn statement, and have at most 60 calendar days from enrolment to produce the documents.)

Note what comes next: once the deadline passes, “el director comunica la situación a la DEMUNA” (the head teacher reports the case to the municipal child-protection office). Use those days to get a power of attorney from the parents or to start guardianship proceedings.

Health care: consent and emergencies

Article 4 of the General Health Law:

“Ninguna persona puede ser sometida a tratamiento médico o quirúrgico, sin su consentimiento previo o el de la persona llamada legalmente a darlo, si correspondiere o estuviere impedida de hacerlo. Se exceptúa de este requisito las intervenciones de emergencia.”

(No one may undergo medical or surgical treatment without their prior consent or that of the person legally called on to give it. Emergency interventions are exempt.)

For a child, the person legally called on to consent is their representative: the parents or the guardian. An informal carer is not in that position by law. A power of attorney from the parents that mentions medical care brings you closer to it; that is our reading, not a rule written in those words. In an emergency, the facility does not need that consent to treat.

How to formalise the arrangement

If the parents are alive and agree: a power of attorney

Civil Code article 145 says representation “la otorga el interesado o la confiere la ley” (is granted by the person concerned or conferred by law). The parents can give you written authority for specific acts. A power of attorney does not make you a guardian and does not take parental authority away from them.

If a parent wants to settle who will care for the child if they die, article 503 allows it:

“Tienen facultad de nombrar tutor, en testamento o por escritura pública: 1.- El padre o la madre sobreviviente, para los hijos que estén bajo su patria potestad.”

(The surviving father or mother may name a guardian, by will or public deed, for children under their parental authority.)

If no one holds parental authority: guardianship

Guardianship (tutela) is not for every child who lives with someone else. Article 502 limits it:

“Al menor que no esté bajo la patria potestad se le nombrará tutor que cuide de su persona y bienes.”

(A minor who is not under parental authority will be assigned a guardian to care for their person and property.)

The order is this. First, a guardian named by will or public deed. Failing that, article 506:

“A falta de tutor nombrado en testamento o por escritura pública, desempeñan el cargo los abuelos y demás ascendientes, prefiriéndose: 1.- El más próximo al más remoto. 2.- El más idóneo, en igualdad de grado. La preferencia la decide el juez oyendo al consejo de familia.”

(With no guardian named, grandparents and other ascendants take the role, closest first and, among equals, the most suitable. The judge decides after hearing the family council.)

If there are no grandparents or other ascendants either, the family council names a dative guardian (article 508), and that council meets “por orden del juez o a pedido de los parientes, del Ministerio Público o de cualquier persona” (on a judge’s order or at the request of relatives, the prosecutor’s office or anyone).

Every route has a court step. Article 512 says “el tutor tiene la obligación de pedir el discernimiento del cargo” (the guardian must ask the court to confirm the appointment). Once appointed, the guardian “representa al menor en todos los actos civiles” (represents the minor in all civil acts, article 527) and must “alimentar y educar al menor […] y proteger y defender su persona” (feed, educate, protect and defend the child, article 526).

Custody is framed between the parents

Custody (tenencia) is a different thing. Ley 31590 rewrote article 81 of the Children and Adolescents Code, which starts: “Cuando los padres estén separados de hecho, la tenencia de los niños, niñas o adolescentes es asumida por ambos padres […]” (when parents are separated, custody is shared by both parents). We found no express route in those articles for a grandparent or uncle to seek custody, and we did not review case law on it. What is written is that, in a case to suspend or remove parental authority, the judge can place the child with a relative:

“El Juez especializado en cualquier estado de la causa, pondrá al niño o adolescente en poder de algún miembro de la familia o persona distinta que reúna las condiciones de idoneidad, si fuera necesario, con conocimiento del Ministerio Público.”

(At any stage of the case, the judge will place the child with a family member or another suitable person if necessary, with notice to the prosecutor’s office.)

That process is explained in loss or suspension of parental authority, and custody between parents in child custody and visitation.

If the child is at risk or lacks proper care: Legislative Decree 1297

When the problem is not only paperwork but that the child is not getting the care they need, the governing law is Legislative Decree 1297. The decree says it takes effect “a partir del día siguiente de la publicación de su reglamento” (the day after its regulation is published).

It separates two situations. Risk calls for the state to act preventively, “sin que en ningún caso justifique la separación de la niña, niño o adolescente de su familia de origen” (never justifying separating the child from their family of origin). Lack of parental care (desprotección familiar) is more serious: it arises from the failure, or the “imposible o inadecuado desempeño”, of care duties, and “afecta gravemente el desarrollo integral” (seriously harms the child’s development). It adds:

“La situación de pobreza, en ningún caso justifica, por sí sola, la separación de la niña, niño o adolescente de su familia de origen, ni constituye desprotección familiar.”

(Poverty alone never justifies separating the child from their family of origin and is not lack of parental care.)

Two definitions in article 3 matter if you are the carer. The “family of origin” includes “las personas con las que teniendo o no vínculo de parentesco, conviven o hacen vida en común” (people who live with the child, related or not). The “extended family” is relatives “con los que no conviven o hace vida en común” (who do not live with the child).

One of the protective measures is foster care with extended family (article 65):

“Esta medida de protección se aplica con aquella familia extensa que ha sido evaluada favorablemente para asumir el cuidado y protección de la niña, niño o adolescente. Es acompañada y apoyada profesionalmente, de manera permanente.”

(This measure is used with extended family members who have been assessed favourably to care for the child, with ongoing professional support.)

It is ordered by the authority after an assessment. You do not get it simply because the child already lives with you.

Watch out for outdated Civil Code texts

Many guides, and even the Ministry of Justice edition of the Civil Code on gob.pe, still show article 511 on guardianship of children without parental care, which sent relatives to apply for guardianship through a foster-care request. That article is no longer in force. Legislative Decree 1297 provided: “Deróguese el Artículo 511° del Código Civil sobre Tutela de menores en desprotección familiar” (article 511 is repealed). It also changed article 510, which now reads: “La tutela de los niños y adolescentes en situación de desprotección familiar se regula por la ley de la materia” (guardianship of children without parental care is governed by the special law).

What this page does not cover

We do not walk through the risk or lack-of-care procedure step by step, or the regulation of Legislative Decree 1297. We do not cover how to claim child support from the parents on the child’s behalf; see child and family support. We also do not cover adoption, which is in adoption in Peru, or the child’s DNI or health insurance.