One thing parents learn the hard way when their child goes off to college is that hospitals, colleges and banks may not talk to them. Once your child is 18 and becomes an adult, you no longer have the legal authority to get information about your child - even if you are paying the bills.
The classic example is your daughter gets in a car accident and is rushed to the hospital in her college town. You find out from her friends and call the hospital, but the doctor or nurse can't talk to you without written authority from your daughter. Your daughter is now an adult, and the privacy laws apply. The same can occur when dealing with your child's bank or even college.
The solution is to get your adult child an Immediate Durable Power of Attorney and a Health Care Directive and HIPAA which authorizes you to act on her behalf.
Our firm prepares these documents as part of our Young Adult Essential Estate Plan.