The first place a referral is received from the Child Protection Hotline for processing and assignment. This unit is comprised of support staff whose responsibilities include searching, attaching assigning and/or merging clients and cases.

See "Teen Pregnancy Disincentive Program, The."

See "Substance Abuse Testing."

See "Hospital Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Team."

See "Healthy Start Support Services for Children Act."

See "Model Case Format."

See "Specialized Care Incentives and Assistance Program."

A DCFS referral shall be sealed under the following circumstances:

1. One of the clients in the referral is a public figure;

    

2. One of the clients in the referral is a well-known elected or appointed official, including dependency court judges and referees;

1. The parent and/or perpetrator is a DCFS employee;

1. The parent and/or perpetrator is an active-duty law enforcement officer who works in a Los Angeles County jurisdiction (California Highway Patrol officers, school police, state police, housing authority police, federal law enforcement officials, probation/parole officers, law enforcement administrators and law enforcement civilian staff do not meet the sealed criteria);

5. One of the clients, because of the position (s)he holds, is likely to generate media interest if the facts of the referral became known; referrals that allege a set of facts that are so sensational they would be certain to generate media interest if they became known outside of DCFS.
6. Referrals that allege a set of facts that are so sensational they would be certain to generate media interest if they became known outside of DCFS.

See "Model Case Format."

See "Primary Parties/Secondary Parties."

See "Child Care."

See "Severely Emotionally/Behaviorally Disturbed Children."

See "Special Education Local Planning Area (SELPA)."

See "Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)."

See "Teen Pregnancy Disincentive Program, The."

The opposite of attachment. Once an individual is attached to another, separation or loss or threat of separation is painful and traumatic. Separation and loss have an impact throughout life (Bowlby, 1980). The removal of one person from the vicinity or living arrangement. In clinical terms, separation is the disruption of the relationship between the child and his/her primary caretaker.

The address used to determine to which regional office a referral is sent.

Funding that is available to DCFS children and their families in all phases of the Child Welfare Services programs (ER, FM, FR or PP) as specifically identified in the child’s case plan. The range of SFA shall include the following: case management; counseling; emergency/temporary in-home caregiver; teaching and demonstrating homemakers; parenting training; substance abuse testing; transportation and respite care. Other public and private sources must be exhausted prior to the use of SFA funds.

See "Family Preservation Program, Multidisciplinary Case Planning committee Service Plan."

Payments made to caregivers, providers and vendors for services other than foster care payments. The payments can include, but are not limited to: respite care, medical/dental special needs, funeral expense, counseling, child care, educational equipment, tutoring, transportation and court-ordered substance abuse testing. The payments are handled through the DCFS Revenue Enhancement, Special Payment Unit.

Apparel in good repair, which is suitable for its intended use (e.g., sleeping, school, play or dress), seasons and appropriate for the child’s size, sex and age.

See "Model Case Format."

See "Neglect."

See "Child Abuse."

Children who generally reveal disturbances which are characterized by varying degrees of personality disorganization and departures from normal modes of thinking, feeling, perceiving, and acting. They often exhibit impairment in reality testing, judgment and communication; and react to daily living experiences and rituals with excessive fearfulness, aggression, depression or withdrawal. Outbursts of rage, excessive verbal and physical aggressiveness, including overt and covert hostility, are common.

Suicidal ideation and/or attempts are not uncommon. They respond with extreme impulsivity and assume rigid postures of fight or flight when frustrated. They employ a deeply ingrained maladaptive constellation of behaviors, which are hostile, provocative, distrustful, manipulative, defiant and vengeful. Their behaviors place them in chronic conflict with parents, teachers, peers and society at large.

The volatile, unpredictable, destructive, and antisocial qualities of their behavior trigger much concern about the danger to self, others and/or property. Diagnostic impressions may vary but most often revolve around psychosis, borderline conditions, severe personality and character disorders, and unsocialized aggressive reactions.

Placement histories of these children may generally reveal rejection, placement failures, prior hospital commitments, and multiple replacements. They are extremely difficult to live with because of their chronic unmanageable and unsocialized behaviors. Likewise, educational inventories frequently reveal major learning deficits consistent with the cycle of rejection, failure and replacements. These children are often known to school personnel and are portrayed as "unwanted" by school districts because of their acting-out behavior.

In the context of an Individualized Educational Program, children who require instruction and training in programs serving pupils with autism, blindness, deafness, severe orthopedic impairments, serious emotional disturbance or severe mental retardation. These children may be assessed by public school special education staff, regional center staff or another appropriately licensed clinical professional.

See "Child Abuse."

Conduct in violation of one or more of the following sections: Section 261 (rape), 264.1 (rape in concert), 285 (incest), 286 (sodomy), subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 288 (lewd or lascivious acts upon a child under 14 years of age), 288a (oral copulation), 289 (penetration of a genital or anal opening by a foreign object), or 647a (child molestation).

Sexual intercourse, including genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital, or oral-anal, whether between persons of the same or opposite sex or between humans and animals; masturbation for the purpose of sexual stimulation of the viewer; sadomasochistic abuse for the purpose of sexual stimulation of the viewer; and exhibition of the genitals, pubic or rectal areas of any person for the purpose of sexual stimulation of the viewer.

Conduct involving matter depicting a minor engaged in obscene acts in violation of Section 311.2 (preparing, selling, or distributing obscene matter) or subdivision (a) of Section 311.4 (employment of minor to perform obscene acts).

Any person who knowingly promotes, aids or assists, employs, uses, persuades, induces or coerces a child, or any person responsible for a child’s welfare who knowingly permits or encourages a child to engage in, or assist others to engage in, prostitution or a live performance involving obscene sexual conduct or to either pose or model alone or with others for the purpose of preparing a film, photograph, negative, slide, drawing, painting or other pictorial depiction involving obscene sexual conduct. "Person responsible for a child’s welfare" means a parent, guardian, foster parent, or a licensed administrator, or employee of a public or private residential home, residential school, or other residential institution.

Any person who depicts a child in, or who knowingly develops, duplicates, prints, or exchanges, any film, photograph, video tape, negative, or slide in which a child is engaged in an act of obscene, sexual conduct, except for those activities by law enforcement and prosecution agencies and other persons described in subdivisions (c) and (e) of Section 311.3."

The asexual, heterosexual, homosexual (including gay and lesbian) or bisexual lifestyle of an individual. It does not include pedophilia, deviant sexual behavior or acts, which require registration as a sex offender.

See "Service-Funded Activity."

See "Out-of-Home Care Facilities."

See "Out of Home Care Facilities."

A child related to another person by blood, adoption or affinity through a common legal or biological parent.

Computer system with case and persons records data for all programs. Replaced the Welfare Case Management and Information System (WCMIS).

See "Special Incident Report (SIR)."

See "Out-of-Home Care Facilities."

A specific plan for the education of all individuals with exceptional needs residing in a specific area. A SELPA may be developed for an individual school district, if of sufficient size and scope, developed in conjunction with one or more school districts, or if necessary, administrated by a County Office of Education.

1. Special Education

   Specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parent, to meet the unique needs of individuals with exceptional needs, whose educational needs cannot be met with modification of the regular instruction program, and related services that may be needed to assist these individuals to benefit from specially designed instruction.

2. Individuals with Exceptional Needs

   Children with mental retardation; hearing impairments including deafness; speech or language impairments; visual impairments including blindness; serious emotional disturbance; orthopedic impairments; autism; traumatic brain injury; other health impairments; or specific learning disabilities and who, by reason of disability, need special education and related services.

3. Related Services

Assembly Bill 2268, defines children with special health care needs as those children who are either temporarily or permanently dependent upon medical equipment or in need of other specific kinds of specialized in-home health care, as determined by the child’s physician. See "medically fragile."

The Immigration and Naturalization Service status for certain undocumented court dependent children who are deemed eligible for long-term foster care and for whom it has been determined that it is not in their best interests to be returned to their country of nationality. For eligibility purposes, nationals of the U.S. in unincorporated U.S. territories such as American Samoa, Guam, or the American Virgin Islands are considered U.S. citizens and therefore do not need special immigration status.

1. Special Immigrant Status (SIS) Unit

See "Special Immigrant Status (SIS)."

A report made to DCFS and CCLD by a group home, small family home or foster family agency as required by the Special Incident Reporting Guide for Residential Facilities or a report made by a foster family home as required per MPP, Title XXII, Division 6, Chapter 7.

Reportable incidents include serious behavior incidents, serious injuries, unauthorized absences (AWOLs), abuse, and any significant changes in the facility status, which may have an impact on residents.

In the context of the Adoptions Assistance Program (AAP), a child whose adoption, without financial assistance, would be unlikely due to one or more of the following factors:

1. age (three years or older)
2. ethnic background, race, color or language
3. mental, physical, emotional or medical handicap
4. adverse parental background
5. membership in a sibling group which should remain intact.

In the context of protective services child care, a child who is mentally or physically incapable of caring for him/herself, as verified by a physician or a licensed or certified psychologist, and requires separate accommodations to be provided with basic child care.

In the context of dependency court, a special needs child is one who has had three or more placements during a 12-month period or has been detained at MacLaren for 60 days and has a diagnosis or history of one or more of the following:

1. Conduct disorder with aggressive tendencies or antisocial behavior
2. Attention deficit disorder treated by psychotropic drugs
3. Self-destructive or suicidal behavior
4. Use of psychotropic drugs
5. Developmental disability
6. Firesetting, manifestation of psychotic symptoms
7. Somatizing or chronic depression or social isolation
8. Severe sexual acting-out behavior and/or, substance abuse.

A program that provides State General Fund money to counties for incentives and assistance in the area of specialized care. The funds are allocated annually and are based upon a county’s AFDC-FC population during the prior fiscal year. The expenditure of SCIAP funds for foster children can be used to purchase goods and services on a non-recurring or as needed basis.

The following are examples of some of the items these funds can be used to purchase: wheelchair ramps, apnea monitors, glasses, psychiatric visits, orthodontia, equipment and/or activities which will stimulate the child’s physical and/or emotional growth.

The CDSS approved DCFS programs, which authorize the payment of specialized care increments to meet the needs and special expenses of certain children with physical/mental problems of varying degrees of severity.

1. Specialized Care Rate (Schedule "D")

   The DCFS specialized care rate paid on behalf of a foster child with special needs. It includes both the basic rate (Schedule "B") and an additional specialized care increment. This rate is for seriously emotionally disturbed children in foster care. It provides payment commensurate with care for children who present severe and chronic emotional and behavioral problems and who could benefit from placement in a specialized family home.

2. Specialized Care Rate (Schedule "F")

Any licensed foster family home or certified license pending family home where the foster parents have been trained to provide the specialized in-home health care (see definition) to those children with special health care needs (see "Special Health Care Needs"). This includes relative caregivers.

Includes, but is not limited to, those services identified by the child’s primary physician as appropriately administered by an out-of-home caregiver trained by health care professionals pursuant to the discharge plan of the facility releasing the child being placed in, or currently in, out-of-home care. See "Specialized Foster Care Home."

See "Service Provider Payments."

A multi-disciplinary team staffed by skilled professionals from DCFS, Probation Department, Department of Mental Health, representatives from the Los Angeles County Office of Education, the Los Angeles Unified School District and other disciplines to address the growing concern of Los Angeles County regarding dependent youths who exhibit predelinquent/delinquent behaviors.

1. Core Team

   A group which consists of the youth, START Unit CSW, care provider, Los Angeles County Office of Education/Division of Dependency court and community schools/START Unit Educator, Los Angeles Unified School District Pupil Services Attendance (PSA) START Unit Counselor, START Unit Clinical Psychologist II, and START Unit Deputy Probation Officer, and provides the primary intervention and casework services.

2. Support Team

Preschools similar to Headstart, but funded by the California Department of Education (CDE).

California’s supplemental payment to the federal SSI (see "Supplemental Security Income").

In a legal context, a temporary postponement or delay in implementing the order of the court, pending a request for rehearing, reconsideration, writ, appeal or other court proceedings. Stays are discretionary and may or may not be granted by the court that made the order.

An adoption in which a stepparent is the petitioner and one birth or adoptive parent retains custody and control of a child.

The person who has petitioned to adopt his or her stepchild.

A written legal order directing a person to appear in order to give testimony in court or in a deposition.

A subpoena, which summons certain documents or records, specified in the subpoena to be produced in court or in a deposition.

Chemical analysis to determine if certain drugs, including alcohol or controlled substances, are present, indicating that a person has used or has in his or her system a specified drug or substance.

1. Drug

   In the context of substance abuse, any chemical substance that alters mood, perception, or consciousness and is misused to the apparent injury of the individual or society.

2. Medical Review Officer (MRO)

   The physician who specializes in forensic evidence (such as substance abuse), who will review all positive test results and determine if such results are due to the illegal use of one or more of the five drugs for which all samples will be tested.

    

3. Positive Screen

   The result of the SAP 5 which indicates one of the five substances was found to be present in the urine sample provided, indicating the ingestion or other type of use of one or more of the five drugs.

4. Random Drug Testing

   The process for the unscheduled substance abuse testing for DCFS clients.

5. SAP 5

   The actual specimen collection tests or screen of the five major drug groups for which all urine specimen will be screened. The SAP 5 includes amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, phencyclidine and opiates.

6. Test Results

See "Family Preservation Program."

A report, which is determined by the investigator, based upon some credible evidence, to constitute child abuse or neglect.

See "Family Preservation Program."

A minimum supply of garments which are sufficient to meet a child’s basic needs for sleeping, play, school and dress for one week.

A brief synopsis of what the CSW is recommending to the court for an impending court hearing concerning the case plan for a child. This synopsis is provided to Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs), foster parents; communities care facilities, the custodian of the child and any foster family agency having custody of the child.

See "Petition."

See "Reports."

A federal program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) for persons who are aged, blind or disabled and have little or no income and/or resources. Children may be eligible if blind or disabled.

See "Healthy Start Support Services for Children Act."

The multidisciplinary assessment team, identified by the case-carrying CSW, who provides direct/linkage services and input in the assessment and case plan implementation of the emancipation plan. The team members may include, but are not limited to: DCFS staff (e.g., SCSW, Resource Coordinator/Educational Liaison, TA, PHN, clerical), health/medical professionals, school personnel, dependency court staff, attorneys, employment counselors, Emancipation Preparation Advisors, extended family members, etc. See "Emancipation" and "Start Taking Action Responsibly Today (START) Unit."

See "Preponderance of Evidence Model (POEM)."

An adoption in which the petitioner is the wife whose husband’s sperm fertilized the egg of a surrogate mother. A judgment of paternity must be issued prior to initiating an application for a surrogate adoption. The procedures and fees are the same as for stepparent adoption.

The person who has petitioned to adopt a child in a surrogate adoption.

See "Mother."

In the context of educational decision making, a person appointed by a Local Education Agency (LEA) to represent an individual with exceptional needs in matters relating to identification, assessment, instructional planning and development, educational placement, reviewing and revising the individualized education program, and in other matters relating to the provision of a free, appropriate education to the individual. The surrogate parent may sign any consent relating to the individualized education purposes. See "Local

Education Agency (LEA)," "Special Education Local Planning Area (SELPA)" and "Special Education Services."

In the context of the Child Protection Hotline (CPH), case name and case assignment criteria, Kern, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura Counties.

The written report mandated by Penal Code Section 11166 of the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA). This section requires that mandated reporters (as defined by CANRA) send a written report to the child protective agency to which they made the required verbal report.