See "Emergency Assistance."

See "Emergency Aid Requisition."

The federal health program known in California as the "Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) Program." See "Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) Program."

The Department’s approach, developed in collaboration with the California Community Colleges Foundation, to initiate the emancipation planning process for foster youth at age 14 years.

A home that meets the requirements of the AFDC-FC program and in which an eligible child may be placed.

A legal process of freeing a child from the control of their parents before they reach the age of majority; in California it is 18 years of age. Upon emancipation, the child will be able to do certain things without parental consent, such as:

• Consent to medical treatment
• Apply for a work permit
• Enroll in school or college

A DCFS employee with experience as a DCFS-supervised youth who is a member of the Core Team, when appropriate. See "Core Team."

The provision of specified services to enable youth in out-of-home care age 14 years or older to successfully develop competencies in areas that will enhance their passage to adulthood once jurisdiction or case status has terminated. At a minimum, these services include, but are not limited to:

1. development of basic academic knowledge and skills;
2. planning and achievement of career and/or vocational goals;
3. instruction in daily living skills;
4. instruction in basic survival skills;
5. instruction in interpersonal and social skills; and
6. participation in and completion of ILP or ILP-equivalent package of skill development services.

Emancipation planning services shall be provided to all foster youths age 14 years or older, whether the case plan goal is adoption, family reunification, legal guardianship or long-term foster care. Some form of emancipation planning shall occur even when the youth is physically or mentally unable to benefit from a traditional transitional independent living plan (TILP).

A written agreement signed by the youth and care provider and countersigned by the CSW. It identifies the youth’s perception of his or her needs, services to be provided to meet the identified needs, available resources, time frames and persons responsible for seeing that those services are accessed to meet the identified needs. The contract is updated on a quarterly basis.

A centralized place in each DCFS region/field office for information gathering, information dissemination, and activities coordination for youth-specific, emancipation-related services and resources such as transitional housing, scholarships, job referrals, ILP referrals and information, master emancipation planning calendar, youth event activity transportation coordination and aftercare support.

See "Emergency Medical Consent (EMC) Referral."

See "Emergency Assistance (EA) Program."

The DCFS 66-1, Emergency Aid Requisition (EAR), which is used to generate an office-issued check.

Federally funded program as part of the TANF Block Grant. The program provides funding for children removed in an emergency. In the context of EA:

1. Assistance to Children in Emergency (ACE)

   A statewide tracking system to register and verify an episode and establish the not to exceed (NTE) date of EA recipients.

2. Applicant

   In order of preference, the parent (relative) or when the relative is unable or unwilling to apply on behalf of the child, the applicant may be the county worker (CSW or DPO).

3. Effective Date

   Implementation of the EA program is September 1, 1993.

4. Emergency

   The removal of a child from his or her home who is at risk of abuse, neglect, abandonment or exploitation

5. Episode

   In the context of funding, one emergency up to a maximum of twelve months and limited to one episode per family during a 12-month period which begins at the start of the episode. Under the EA Program, per ACL 95-53, the EA eligibility for Child Welfare Services is not limited to one episode. Any new occurrence leading to a child removal will be eligible for a new episode. The child is a family of one. Additionally, also used to define the end of a period in which a child is under court jurisdiction on a WIC Section 300 petition.

6. Family

   The child is a family of one.

7. Legal Resident Status

   The relative’s or child’s resident status per the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

8. List of Emergency Assistance Participants System (LEAPS)

   A statewide tracking system developed to register, verify, and monitor EA recipients. Replaced by ACE in September 1994. However, this system is still used for audit/trail documentation.

9. Presumptive Eligibility (PE)

   The authorization of EA services based on the probability of eligibility. EA services can be authorized as PE during the eligibility determination. When EA services are authorized as PE, the eligibility determination must occur within 90 calendar days of the date of application. The EA application must be authorized within 30 days.

    

10. Shelter Care

    The placement status for children in foster care for the purpose of assessment as part of the child’s case plan, for identification and placement into an appropriate long-term foster care situation. Such status concludes when the SCSW signs the case plan.

11. Social Security Number

    The number assigned to a person by the Social Security Administration (SSA), a MEDs pseudo number obtained through the MEDs system for children, or a temporary number created by the EW for undocumented children only.

12. Welfare Number

A request from a licensed medical practitioner or facility for consent to provide emergency medical care to a child when parental/legal guardian consent is unavailable or has been refused.

An ex prate temporary restraining order issued by the Superior Court following a determination by law enforcement that a child is in immediate danger of abuse by a member of a child’s family or household. An EPO may exclude any parent, guardian or member of a child’s household from the dwelling of the person having the care, custody, and control of the child. EPOs allow children to remain in their home while allegations of child abuse by the restrained parties are investigated and allow the non-offending parent time to seek assistance from Family Law Court. EPOs expire at the close of the second day of judicial business following the day of issuance. EPOs may only be extended by application to the appropriate court. See "Ex Prate Order," "Judicial Business Hours" and "Restraining Order."

In the context of the Child Protection Hotline (CPH), an assessment of an emergency response referral (see definition) conducted by a social worker skilled in emergency response for the purpose of determining whether an in-person investigation is required.

A county welfare department is permitted to claim each completed emergency response protocol form (for DCFS, the CIS 100, Emergency Response Referral) as an ERA case when an emergency response referral (see definition) has been evaluated-out (see definition), with or without a referral to another community agency.

The section of DCFS that performs Emergency Response In-Person Investigations (see definition) on referrals with immediate response times received after normal business hours.

A face-to-face response by an emergency worker skilled in emergency responses for the purpose of determining the potential for the existence of any condition(s) which places the child or any other child in the household at risk and in need of services and which would cause the child to be a person described in Welfare and Institutions Code Section 300(a) through (j).

The documented activities of the emergency response social worker necessary to determine whether or not an in-person investigation is appropriate. In DCFS, this activity has been centralized at the Child Protection Hotline (CPH).

A referral, which alleges child abuse, neglect, or exploitation as, defined by Penal Code Section 11165 et seq. and Division 31 regulations. An emergency response referral does not include inappropriate inquiries such as those regarding aid payments, Medi-Cal cards, etc.

See "Psychotropic Medication."

See "Child Abuse."

See "Family Preservation Program."

See "Unhealthy Living Conditions."

See "Emergency Assistance (EA) Program."

See "Emergency Protective Order."

See "Early Periodic Screening diagnostic and Treatment."

See "Emergency Response Assessment."

See "Emergency Response Command Post."

See "Emancipation Station."

See "Early Step to Emancipation Preparation."

In the context of foster care and adoptive placement decisions, basic groups or divisions of mankind or of a heterogeneous population, as distinguished by customs, characteristics, common history, language, etc.

An emergency response referral (see definition) for which the emergency response protocol (see definition) has been completed by the Child Protection Hotline (CPH) and found to be not in need of an emergency response in-person investigation by a CSW. This terminology includes referrals of abuse, neglect or exploitation over which DCFS has no jurisdiction (e.g., children on military installations).

An order made or granted for the benefit of one party only and without notice to or contestation by any person adversely interested.

A caregiver is exempt from licensure (i.e., not required to be licensed by CDSS CLD) for a child to remain in his or her home when:

1. (s)he is the child’s relative (see definition), legal guardian or conservator; or,
2. s(he) is approved by a licensed adoption agency for the adoptive placement of the child, and the child is legally free for adoption, and the agency is providing supervision of the placement pending finalization of the adoption; or,

    

3. s(he) is selected as the placement for adoption by a birth parent and a petition for adoption has been filed by the prospective adoptive parents and is pending, and final decision on the petition has not been rendered by the court.

Exemption from licensure does not preclude a home from being licensed.

Forcing or coercing a child into performing functions, which are beyond his or her capabilities or capacities, or into illegal or degrading acts. See "sexual exploitation."

Childcare provided before and after school for children in kindergarten through sixth grade.