Bringing Kids to Visit at MCF Moose Lake: Birth Certificates, Escort Forms, and a Pre-Visit Checklist
At MCF Moose Lake, anyone under 18 must be escorted by a parent, legal guardian, or authorized escort. Before planning your visit, confirm the adult accompanying the kids fits one of these roles. This is one of the most common reasons visits fall apart before they begin.
Caution: A visiting application can be denied if there’s an active no-contact order, you’re a co-defendant/accomplice in an active case, you have any pending/open criminal cases, or you’ve been on probation for less than a year or had probation violations within the last year.
MCF Moose Lake requires birth certificate documentation upfront. You'll need to submit a copy of each child's state or county birth certificate with the visiting application - the facility won't accept birth certificates at check-in. If the copy wasn't included with your application, bringing it to the front desk won't help.
Note: Hospital “Heirloom Birth Certificates” and crib cards aren’t official documents and won’t be accepted for minor visitors.
If someone other than the child's parent or legal guardian will be escorting them, MCF Moose Lake requires a notarized Minor Escort Form signed by the custodial parent or guardian. This form must be submitted with the application, along with the child's birth certificate copy or guardianship papers. Line up a notary early - don't wait until you're close to your travel date.
Upload Checklist
- ✓ A scanned copy of each minor’s state or county birth certificate (one for every child you plan to bring)
- ✓ If an adult other than the parent/legal guardian will escort the minor: a notarized Minor Escort Form signed by the child’s custodial parent/guardian, submitted with the birth certificate or guardianship papers
- ✓ Guardianship paperwork (if applicable)
- ✓ A scanned copy of your ID (the application asks you to upload it)
- ✓ The ID number for the ID type you’re using, as requested on the application (Driver’s License, State ID, Military ID, Matricula Consular, Tribal ID, or Passport)
Reminder: Birth certificate copies for minors have to be submitted with the visiting application - MCF Moose Lake won’t accept them at the time of the visit.
Plan your trip around the approval, not the other way around. MCF Moose Lake asks that you not attempt a visit until your application is approved. You'll receive notification at the email address you provided - either an approval or denial. Applications can take several weeks to process, so hold off on booking travel (especially with kids) until that approval email arrives.
Do this first: Don’t try to visit until you’ve received the approval email for your visiting application.
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