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Unattached Applicant
In the context of adoption, a person who has applied to adopt a child but has not been matched with an available child, and is therefore considered "unattached" to a particular child. See "Attached Applicant."
Unattached Child
In the context of adoption, a child for whom adoption is the identified permanent plan but for whom no prospective adoptive parent has been identified. See "Attached Child" and "Unattached Applicant."
Undocumented Child
A child from any other country who resides in the United States without current legal immigration status (e.g., citizenship, permanent residency, unexpired immigration visa). Although not born in the U.S., persons born in unincorporated U.S. territories, such as American Samoa or the American Virgin Islands, is U.S. citizens.
Unfounded Referral [PC 11165.12(a)]
A report which is determined by the child protective services investigator who conducted the investigation, to be false to be inherently improbable, to involve an accidental injury, or not to constitute either child abuse or neglect.
Unhealthy Living Condition
An environment condition of the child(ren)’s residence which can have a detrimental effect on the health, safety and well being of the child(ren) living in such an environment.
The DHS section which either will accept referrals regarding unhealthy living conditions and investigates the reports or makes referrals to appropriate agencies who can handle the complaint.
Universal Precautions
An aggressive, standardized approach to infection control which treats all human blood and certain body fluids as if they were known to contain blood-borne pathogens. See "Blood-Borne Pathogens."
Unjustifiable Punishment (PC 11165.3)
See "Willful Cruelty or Unjustifiable Punishment (PC 11165.3)"
Unlicensed Child Care
Child care services provided by a person who does not meet the criteria for license-exempt status and who, therefore, must be licensed by Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD) but is not. DCFS staff have a mandatory reporting responsibility to notify CCLD of any unlicensed child care providers. Failure to make this report to CCLD is a misdemeanor. CCLD will give these providers 15 days to either apply for a license or close the facility. See "Licensed Child Care" and "License-Exempt Child Care."
Unlawful Corporal Punishment or Injury (PC 11165.4)
The willful infliction upon a child of any cruel or inhuman corporal punishment or injury
resulting in a traumatic condition.
Note: This does not include an amount of force that is reasonable and necessary for a peace officer or a person employed by or engaged in a public school to quell a disturbance threatening physical injury to person or damage to property, for purposes of self-defense, or to obtain possession of weapons or other dangerous objects within the control of the child, or (for a peace officer) to apprehend an escapee.
UVPS
See "Automated Special Payments System."