Overview
- AB 495, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Oct. 12, 2025, becomes effective statewide on Jan. 1, 2026.
- The law strengthens the caregiver affidavit so an adult 18 or older who lives with a child can handle key tasks such as school enrollment and school-related medical consent.
- California expands who counts as a relative up to the fifth degree, explicitly including great‑great‑grandparents, stepparents, stepsiblings, and spouses even after divorce or death.
- Courts gain a joint‑guardianship option that allows a parent and a trusted adult to share legal responsibility for a child during immigration proceedings.
- All petitions, orders, and records tied to these guardianships will be confidential and accessible only to the parties and their attorneys.