TERMS AND ACRONYMS

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Our list is extensive, but not comprehensive.  We provide links at the end of the TERMS list that may be helpful.  please let us know if there are other terms you may need help researching.

21(E),21(F), & .22 Hearings: 

These are court review hearings held approximately every six (6) months to review, monitor the welfare of the child, and evaluate the parents efforts at reunification.

300 Kids:

Children who are “dependents” of the Juvenile Court (victims of abuse, neglect and/or exploitation)

364 Hearing: 

Refers to Welfare and Institutions Code section 364, which governs the legal criteria for review of a dependent child residing with a parent.

600 Kids:

Children who are “wards” of the Juvenile Court (status offenders and delinquent offenders)

366.26 Hearings:

Also referred to as “26 hearings” are to determine the “Permanency Plan” for the child (i.e. adoption, guardianship, or long-term foster care).

387 Petition:

A petition filed by the Department of Health & Human Services seeking to modify a previous placement order of the Juvenile Court by removing a child from the physical custody of the parent, guardian or relative.

388 Petition:

A request a hearing to modify, change, or set aside a previous court order, or to terminate juvenile court jurisdiction, on the ground that there are changed circumstances or new evidence. Any change or modification of a previous order may be sought by a 388 petition.

5150:

California law code for the temporary, involuntary psychiatric commitment of individuals who present a danger to themselves or others due to signs of mental illness. 

A

AAP:

Adoption Assistance Program is a financial support program for families with adopted children.

Adoption:

The process you go through to become a child’s legal parent.

Adoption Home Study: 

A thorough assessment of prospective adoptive parents to ensure a suitable and stable home for a child.

Adoption Subsidy:  

Financial support provided to adoptive parents, often based on the child’s special needs or circumstances.

Attachment / Bonding:

A relationship of trust established between two people.

C

CANS (Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths):  

A standardized assessment tool used to evaluate the strengths and needs of children involved in the child welfare system.

CAPTA (Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act): 

Federal legislation providing funding and guidelines to states for preventing and responding to child abuse and neglect.

Case Plans:

• Court Ordered Case Plan: defines objectives and goals for the family to protect the child with the recommendation of appropriate services and an assigned timeline for completion.
• Voluntary Case Plan: A plan of non-court mandated services provided to a family by DFCS addressing health and safety of children; however, failure to follow through with the case plan may result in court intervention.

CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocate):

Trained volunteers appointed by the court to advocate for the best interests of a child in foster care.

Child Advocacy Center (CAC): 

A facility where professionals collaborate to investigate and provide support for children who are victims of abuse or witnesses to violent crimes.

Child and Family Team (CFT): 

A collaborative approach involving parents, caregivers, professionals, and sometimes the child, working together to develop and implement plans for the child’s well-being.

Child Protective Services (CPS):

A government agency responsible for investigating allegations of child abuse or neglect and providing intervention and support when necessary.

Child Welfare Information Gateway: 

A resource center providing information, resources, and tools to help professionals and the public understand and navigate the child welfare system.

Child Advocate:

A person who gets to know the child and advocates for the best interest and the wishes of the child.

Concurrent Planning:

The process of providing services to reunify the birth family while at the same time ensuring the child is with a family who would be willing to provide a permanent home through either adoption, guardianship, or long-term foster care if family reunification does not work.

Contact with the foster parents:

The child’s social worker is required to have contact with foster parents on a monthly basis.

Continuance:

When there is an unresolved issue in the case, the court may continue services or delay a decision until the issue is resolve.

Counseling:

Mental health services for individuals, families, couples, or other groups of people.

Court Liaison:

The social worker attending uncontested court proceedings on behalf of the child’s social worker.

Court Timeline:

After the dispositional hearing, court hearings are held approximately every 6 months to determine the progress of the birth family, if the children go home or not, and why the case should remain open.

Court-Appointed Attorney:

An attorney appointed by the court to represent the legal interests of a child or parent during child welfare proceedings.

Court-Ordered Supervised Visitation: 

Visits between a child in foster care and their biological parents that are monitored by a professional to ensure safety.

Cultural Competence:  

Theability of child welfare professionals to understand and respect the cultural backgrounds of children and families they serve.

D

Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS)*: 

A department within each county that works ensure the safety and protection of children, and whenever possible, help them to remain in their own homes or return home as soon as possible.

Dependency Court:

The part of Superior Court concerned with the safety and protection of children.

Dependent Child:

A child that is a dependent of the court.

Dependent Intake:

• Dependent Intake: social workers who determine if court intervention is required and if required, they follow through with the initial legal process
• Placement Resource Worker: a worker in the Placement Resource Unit who helps the child’s social worker (who ever has the case at that point in time) find a foster home.
• Continuing Social Worker: social workers who are responsible for a case after the Dispositional Hearing until the case is dismissed. The continuing social worker is often referred to as the “child’s social worker”.
• Adoption Social Worker: social workers who search for families for particular child(ren), matching child(ren) with an adoptive family, conducting home studies, f etc.
• Foster Care Eligibility Worker: determines what type of payment a foster care parent, adoptive parent, or relative caretaker is eligible for based on the child’s particular situation.
• Licensing Intake Social Worker: assists foster care and adoptive applicants in completing the application process to become a licensed foster parent.
• Recruiter: social workers who are in the community looking for and recruiting new foster and adoptive parents.
• Licensing Social Worker: social workers who work with foster and adoptive families to become licensed and to remain licensed. Licensing social workers educate about regulations and help families remain in compliance with state mandates.

Detention Hearing*: 

If following a child’s removal from the home the child is not released back to the parent, there will be a hearing in Dependency Court within 3 Court days (not including weekends or holidays) to decide whether to return the child to the parent or to keep the child in protective custody.

Director’s Exception

• Extended court involvement: the DFCS Director can decide to continue services provided to a family past the established legal time frame.
• Financial/Support exception: the DFCS Director has the discretion to pay for otherwise uncovered services
• Criminal records for relatives: the DFCS Director has the authority to make an exception regarding past criminal re-cords of relatives, which would otherwise preclude the placement of children.

All exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis.

Dismissal:

When the court determines that all protection related issues have been satisfactorily addressed and the court officially discharges the case.

Dispositional Hearing:

A hearing to determine where the child will live while the family receives court-ordered services.

E

Educational Stability:

Ensuring that children in foster care experience minimal disruptions in their education when changing placements.

Emancipation:

The legal process by which a minor child petitions the court to allow him to become an adult in the eyes of the law before his 18th birthday.

F

Facility:

Refers to a place of residence other than a family home. For example, group home or residential treatment facility.

Family Conference:

A group decision meeting to resolve issues such as visitation, placement of children, long term plans, emancipation, and much more.

Family Court:

Deals with family matters such as custody, divorce, child support etc.

Family Group Decision-Making (FGDM):

A collaborative approach that involves extended family members in decision-making processes related to a child’s placement and well-being.

Family Maintenance:

Court-ordered services offered by DFCS in an attempt to keep children in their own home.

Family Reunification (FR):

Court-ordered services offered by DFCS in an attempt to return children to their birth parents.

Foster-Adoption:

A foster family who requests to be considered to adopt a foster child.

Foster Care:

The formal care and protection of non-relative children.

Foster Care Payment:

The monthly reimbursement payment received by foster parents for the care of foster children. Foster care payments are based on the eligibility of the foster child and may be paid through State or Federal resources depending on the child’s eligibility.

Foster Care Eligibility and Determination (FCED):

California’s solution to support the Title IV-E eligibility process is known as the Foster Care Eligibility Determination (FCED) module.

Foster Family Agency (FFA):

A private agency which certifies and supervises foster homes.

Foster Family Home (FFH):

Any residential facility providing 24-hour care for six or fewer foster children in the residence of the foster parent(s). The placement may be by a public or private child placement 

G

Guardian ad Litem: 

A legal representative appointed by the court to advocate for the best interests of a child during legal proceedings.

Guardianship Assistance Program: 

Financial and support services provided to relative caregivers who become legal guardians of children in foster care

H

Home Study:

An in-depth study of a potential adoptive family and their physical residence. Home studies are conducted by an Adoption Home Study Social Worker when a family has indicated that they want to be considered as an adoptive family.

Home Visit:

Visits that are made in the home where the child lives or the home of the birth parents. Home visit refers to the location of the visit if it takes place in a home.

I

Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA):

Federal law that governs the removal and out-of-home placement of Native American children, emphasizing the importance of preserving their culture and tribal connections.

ICPC:

Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children. This is the Federal process for moving a dependent child from one state to another.

Independent Living Program (ILP):

ILP is a DFCS program that works with foster care youth age 16-21 years on issues such as education, employment, living skills, and much more.

J

Jurisdictional Hearing:

A hearing to determine if the child will be made a dependent of the Juvenile Court.

Juvenile Court:

Deals with dependent children.

K

Kinship Care:  

Placement of a child with relatives or close family friends when they cannot remain with their parents.

L

Legal Risk Placement:

A foster care placement where the goal is reunification, but there is a legal risk that the child may be freed for adoption if reunification efforts are unsuccessful.

M

Matching:

A formal process by which an adoptive family is chosen for a child, based on the needs of the child.

Mediation*:

A process in which a neutral person (mediator) helps families, their attorneys, social workers and County Counsel to arrive at a negotiated solution to the problem. 

Medical Passport: Definition: A comprehensive record of a child’s medical history and health information, often maintained for children in foster care.

Medi-Cal:

Medical insurance for low-income families and foster children. Each foster child will have a Medi-Cal card unless they are covered under a private insurance policy.

Monthly contact by Social Worker:

Contact with the foster child: The child’s social worker is required to have a face-to-face visit with the child each month.

O

On Duty Social Worker (ODSW):

All social work units have a “duty officer” who handles crises as they arise in the absence of the child’s social worker. If you have a crisis and cannot reach the social worker, you can contact the on duty social worker for immediate assistance.

P

Parent-Child Visitation:

An established time for parents and children to see each other. Visitation is often court ordered.

Parenting Class:

Classes offered to parents to teach parenting skills and techniques. Often court ordered for birth parents.

Permanency Planning (PP):

Permanency Planning begins when a child enters the child welfare system. All services and interventions are offered with permanency for the child in mind. When a case is in “PP” it means that reunification is no longer a priority in the case plan.

Permanent Placement:

An adoptive home, Guardian home, or long-term foster home that will take care of the child permanently.

Petition:

A legal document recording the facts of the case and requesting court intervention. A petition is filed in all cases where a social worker determines that court intervention is necessary. 

Post-Adoption Services:

Support services provided to adoptive families after the adoption is finalized, assisting with any challenges that may arise.

Pre-Approval Training:

A training curriculum for foster care and kinship parents. This training is state mandated and offered by all agencies overseeing placements. (27 hours)

R

Relative:

According to the Welfare and Institution code a “relative” means an adult who is related to the child by blood, adoption, or affinity within the fifth degree of kinship, including stepparents, step siblings, and all relatives whose status is preceded by the words: great:, “great-great”, or “grand”, or the spouse of any of these persons, even if the marriage was terminated by death or dissolution.

Relative Visitation:

An established time for relatives and children to see each other. Relative visitation may be court ordered at times.

1. Reunification: Definition: The process of bringing a child who has been in foster care back into the care of their biological parents.
2. Residential Treatment Center (RTC): Definition: A facility providing intensive therapeutic services for children and youth with emotional and behavioral challenges.
3. Respite Care: Definition: Temporary care provided to children in foster care to give their regular caregivers a break.
4. Resource Family: Definition: A term used to describe foster, adoptive, or kinship families providing care to children involved in the child welfare system.

S

Settlement Conference*:

An opportunity for all concerned parties to meet and discuss the facts of your case and work out a resolution that is agreeable to all. 

Sibling Contact:

Visitation between children in the same family. Often times sibling contact is ordered by the court or set up by the social worker(s).

Sibling Group:

A group of two or more related children who share at least one biological or adoptive parent in common.

Sibling Visitation Plan:

A plan outlining how and when siblings separated in foster care will have the opportunity to visit and maintain connections.

Special Needs:

Considered if a child has complex medical, behavioral, emotional needs, or developmental disabilities.

Subsidized Guardianship:

Financial assistance provided to guardians who take on the permanent care of a child in foster care without adopting.

Substance Abuse Treatment:

Generally counseling provided through a reputable treatment program to address drug and alcohol dependency and use/abuse. Often court ordered.

Supervised Visit:

A visit between a child and a birth parent (or birth relative) which is conducted under the supervision of a third party.

T

Temporary Custody*:

When a child is reported to be in danger, a social worker or police officer will respond to the location of the child to assess the safety of the child(ren). If the child is assessed to be in an immediate unsafe situation, the child will be taken into temporary “protective custody”, usually by the police officer and transported to the Children’s Shelter Care System.

Termination of Parental Rights (TPR): 

Legal process that permanently ends the legal parent-child relationship, typically leading to adoption.

Trauma-Informed Care: 

An approach that recognizes and responds to the impact of trauma on individuals, emphasizing safety, trustworthiness, and collaboration.

Transition Plan: 

A structured plan outlining the steps and support for a youth transitioning out of foster care to independence.

Trial*:

The legal proceeding in which the Court decides if the allegations in the petition are true or not. Each side will present its own witnesses and question the witnesses on the other side. The Court will weigh the evidence and either find the allegations of the petition to be true or not true. 

Types of Social Workers:

There are many social workers in DFCS serving different roles. The term “child’s social worker” will generally apply to which ever social worker is presently working with the case. You will likely have contact with the following:

• Supervisor: Social Work Supervisors generally supervise 8-10 social workers within a particular role.
• Emergency Response: social workers who take the hotline referral and assess the situation. They make the decision if further intervention is required and if so, they refer the case to Child Protective Services.

U

Unsupervised Visit:

Visitation between a child and his/her birth parent or relative without the supervision of a third party.

V

Voluntary Placement Agreement (VPA): 

An agreement between parents and child welfare authorities allowing the temporary placement of a child in foster care without court intervention.

W

Wrap Around Services:

Child-centered, family-focused services “wrapped around” the family, whether it be the birth, extended, foster, or adoptive family, to enhance the family’s resources in the safe caring of their children through: socialization, recreational activities, family education, vocational support, mental health services, and much more.

Some Helpful Links:

Child Welfare Services Glossary

Dependency Court Terms

300 (Defined by WIC 300) Victims of child abuse or/and neglect

600 (Defined by WIC 602) Juveniles become wards of the court after committing a crime

AAP Adoption Assistance Program (Adoption subsidy)

AB Assembly Bill

ACF Administration Children, Youth and Families (Federal)

ACIN All County Information Notice (distributed by CDSS)

ACL All County Letter (distributed by CDSS)

ADA Average Daily Attendance OR Americans with Disability Act

AFCARS Adoption & Foster Care Analysis System

AFDC-FC Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care

APPLA Another Permanent Planned Living Arrangements

ARC Approved Relative Caregivers

ASFA Adoption and Safe Families Act

BHS Behavioral Health Services

CalSWEC California Social Worker Education Center

CANS Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths

CAPTA Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act

CASA Court Appointed Special Advocate

CBHDA County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California

CBO Community-Based Organization

CDPH California Department of Public Health

CIBHS California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions

CCF Community Care Facility

CCL Community Care Licensing

CCR Continuum of Care Reform

CDSS California Department of Social Services

CFH Certified Family Home

CFL County Fiscal Letter (distributed by CDSS)

CFSD Children and Family Services Division (a subdivision of CDSS)

C-CFSR California’s Child and Family Services Review

CFT Child & Family Team

CMS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

CP Client Plan

CPM Core Practice Model

CPOC Chief Probation Officers of California

CQI Continuous Quality Improvement

CSA County Self-Assessment

CSAC California State Association of Counties

CSEC Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

CWDA County Welfare Directors Association of California

CWS Child Welfare Services

CWS/CMS Child Welfare System/Case Management System

CYC California Youth Connection

DACA Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

DD Developmentally Disabled

DDS Department of Developmental Services

DEJ Deferred Entry of Judgement AKA WIC 790

DHCS Department of Health Care Services

DSM IV Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), 4th Edition

DSM V Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), 5th Edition

DTI Day Treatment Intensive

DTO Danger To Others

DTS Danger To Self

EBP Evidence-Based Practice

ED Emotionally Disturbed (Special Education Term)

EFC Extended Foster Care

EPSDT Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment

FAPE Free Appropriate Public Education

FCARB Foster Care Audits and Rates Branch

FFA Foster Family Agency

FFPSA Families First Preventions Services Act

FFS Fee for Service

FGDM Family Group Decision Making

FM Family Maintenance

FPRRS Foster Parent Recruitment Retention and Support

FR Family Reunification

FURS Family Urgent Response System

HBFC Home-Based Family Care

HIPAA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

HSC Health and Safety Code

ICC Intensive Care Coordination

ICPC Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children

ICPM Integrated Core Practice Model (State of California)

ICWA Indian Child Welfare Act

IEP Individualized Education Plan

IHBS Intensive Home-Based Services

ILP Independent Living Program

ILS Interim Licensing Standards

IN Information Notice

IPC Interagency Placement Committee

ISFC Intensive Services Foster Care

ITFC Intensive Treatment Foster Care

KinGAP Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program

LGBTQQ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning

LEA Local Education Agency

LEA MC Local Education Agency Medi-Cal

LMHP Licensed Mental Health Professional

LOC Level of Care

MCP Managed Care Plan

MEDS Medi-Cal Eligibility Determination System

MHP Mental Health Plan

MHSA Mental Health Services Act

MHSUD Mental Health Substance Use Disorder

MOU Memorandum of Understanding

NOA Notice of Action

NREFM Non-Relative Extended Family Member

NYTD National Youth Transition Database

OCAP Office of Child Abuse Prevention

OJJDP Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

PACT Preventing and Addressing Child Trafficking OR Positive Achievement Change Tool

PC Penal Code

PIN Provider Information Notice (issued by CDSS)

PIP Program Improvement Plan

PL Public Law

PQCR Peer Quality Case Review

PP Promising Practice

POS Performance Outcome System

PSP Parenting Support Plan

QPI Quality Parenting Initiative

RBS Residentially-Based Services

RCL Rate Classification Levels

RF Resource Family

RFA Resource Family Approval

ROI Release of Information

RTA Regional Training Academy

SAMHSA Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (Federal Agency)

SAWS Statewide Automated Welfare System

SB Senate Bill

SD/MC Short Doyle/Medi-Cal

SED Seriously Emotionally Disturbed

SELPA Special Education Local Plan Area

SILP Supervised Independent Living Plan

SIP System Improvement Plan

SMHS Specialty Mental Health Services

SOGIE Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression

SOP Safety Organized Practice model

SST Student Study Team

STRTP Short-term Residential Therapeutic Program

SUD Substance Use Disorder

TANF Temporary Assistance for Needy Family

TAY Transition Aged Youth

TBL Trailer Bill Language

TBS Therapeutic Behavioral Services

TDM Team Decision Making (placement decisions meeting)

TFC Therapeutic Foster Care

THP-M Transitional Housing Placement for Minors

THP-NMD Transitional Housing Placement for Non-Minor Dependents (formerly known as THP+FC)

THP-Plus Transitional Housing Program Plus

TILP Transitional Independent Living Plan

TOP Treatment Outcome Package (Assessment Tool)

TSCF Temporary Shelter Care Facility

WIC Welfare & Institutions Code

YEP Youth Engagement Project

YLC Youth Law Center