Oklahoma Administrative Code › Title 340 - Department of Human Services › Chapter 110 - Licensing Services › Subchapter 5 - REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILD-PLACING AGENCIES › Part 1 - REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILD-PLACING AGENCIES › Section 340:110-5-3 - Definitions

Current through Vol. 41, No. 20, July 1, 2024
The following words and terms when used in this Subchapter
					 shall have the following meaning unless the context clearly states
					 otherwise:
"Adoption agency"
means an agency licensed as
					 a child-placing agency for the purpose of placing children into adoptive
					 families.
"Advisory board"
means the entity that offers
					 advice and counsel on the operation of a child-placing agency.
"Age or developmentally appropriate"
means per
					 Section 1-1-105 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma Statutes (10A O.S. §
					 1-1-105), suitable, developmentally appropriate activities for children of a
					 certain age or maturity level based on the capacities typical for the age group
					 and the individual child.
"Agency"
means child-placing agency.
"Auxiliary personnel"
means cooks, building
					 custodians, or other personnel who provide support services to the
					 agency.
"Basement"
means an area of a building or
					 structure having one-half or more of its clear height below grade level.
"Behavior management"
means guidance that
					 provides a learning experience for the child that contributes to developing the
					 capacity for self-control, self-direction, and an understanding of behavioral
					 consequences.
"Child"
means an individual younger than 18
					 years of age.
"Child Care Restricted Registry,"
or
"Restricted Registry,"
also named "Joshua's List
"
means a registry for registrants who are prohibited from licensure, ownership,
					 employment, having unsupervised access to children, and/or residence in child
					 care facilities per 10 O.S. §
										405.3.
"Child care staff"
means staff who provide
					 direct care and supervision of children.
"Child
-
placing agency"
means an
					 agency that arranges for or places a child in a foster family home, adoptive
					 home, or independent living program.
"Child with special needs"
means a child who,
					 because of age, ethnic origin, physical, mental, or behavioral problems, or
					 sibling group for whom placement for adoption is difficult.
"Custodian"
means the adult or agency legally
					 responsible for the child.
"Department"
means the Oklahoma Department of
					 Human Services (DHS).
"Emergency foster care"
means foster home care
					 provided to a child when an emergency exists or initial placement does not
					 exceed 30-calendar days.
"Foster home"
means a home that provides
					 full-time substitute family care for a child for a planned period when the
					 child's family cannot provide care.
"Foster home agency"
means an agency licensed
					 as a child-placing agency for the purpose of certifying foster homes.
"Foster parent(s)"
means the individual(s)
					 providing foster home care for a child placed by the child-placing
					 agency.
"Governing board"
means the entity with
					 ultimate responsibility and authority for the overall operation of a private
					 agency.
"Health professional"
means a licensed
					 physician, nurse practitioner, or physician's assistant, as defined by the
					 appropriate state licensing board.
"Independent living (IL) program"
means a
					 residential program that places youth, at least 16 years of age, in a living
					 situation supervised by a licensed child-placing agency with the goal of
					 preparing the youth for living independently without supervision.
"Indian child"
means an unmarried or
					 unemancipated individual younger than 18 years of age who is a member of an
					 Indian tribe or eligible for membership and is the biological child of a member
					 of an Indian tribe per10 O.S. §
										40.2.
"Infant foster care"
means a category of
					 foster care when the foster home provides care for infants only.
"Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children
					 (ICPC)"
means the process of ensuring protection and services to
					 children who are placed across state lines.
"Legal risk placement"
means placement of a
					 child when consent to adoption or permanent relinquishment of parental rights
					 for adoption has not been obtained from both birth parents and parental rights
					 have not been previously terminated.
"Long-term foster care"
means foster home care
					 when the initial placement plan exceeds 30-calendar days.
"On-call"
or
"Substitute staff"
means staff available to work during the absence of regular part-time or
					 full-time staff.
"Openness in adoption"
means the pre- or
					 post-placement exchange of information, communication, or contact between birth
					 and adoptive families.
"Parent"
means an individual who is legally
					 responsible for the child, such as a mother, father, legal custodian, or legal
					 guardian.
"Placement plan"
means a component of the
					 service plan or agreement that contains plans for placement of a child that
					 best meet the child's needs.
"Post-adoption services"
means direct or
					 referral services available through the child-placing agency to birth and
					 adoptive parents and the adopted child after the adoption is finalized.
"Post-placement supervision"
means supervision
					 and services provided after the child is placed with an adoptive family.
"Proprietary facility"
means a program that
					 operates on a for-profit basis.
"Reasonable and prudent parent standard"
means
					 per 10A § 1-1-105, the standard characterized by careful and sensible
					 parental decisions that maintain the health, safety, and best interests of a
					 child while at the same time encouraging the emotional and developmental growth
					 of the child. This standard is used by the child's foster parent when
					 determining whether to allow a child to participate in extracurricular,
					 enrichment, cultural, and social activities.
"Serious incident"
means any non-routine
					 occurrence that has an impact on the care, supervision, or treatment of a
					 child.
"Service plan or agreement"
means a
					 comprehensive individualized program of action for the child and the child's
					 family, when parental rights have not been terminated, developed by the
					 child-placing agency in cooperation with the child and family or custodian. It
					 establishes specific outcomes and time frames based on the:
(A) child's age and level of functioning; and
(B) family's ability and willingness to participate.
"Social services staff"
means childplacing
					 agency employees who provide social services that include, but not limited
					 to:
(A) casework services to children and the children's
					 families;
(B) adoptive child and family studies;
(C) placement services;
(D) certification of agency facilities;
(E) admission assessments; and
(F) service planning.
"Specialized service professional"
means an
					 individual from an academic discipline or field of expertise who provides
					 individualized services to a child, such as behavioral or physical
					 therapists.
"Unsupervised access to children"
means an
					 individual being present with children without personnel present who has a
					 complete criminal history review.
"Volunteer"
means an individual who provides
					 services to the child-placing agency without compensation.
Amended at 10 Ok Reg
					 2273, eff 6-11-93; Amended at 13 Ok Reg 997, eff 3-16-96 (emergency); Amended
					 at 13 Ok Reg 2663, eff 6-28-96; Amended at 15 Ok Reg 764, eff 11-10-97
					 (emergency); Amended at 15 Ok Reg 1727, eff 5-11-98; Amended at 19 Ok Reg 2828,
					 eff 10-1-02 (emergency); Amended at 20 Ok Reg 955, eff 5-12-03; Amended at 23
					 Ok Reg 1092, eff 6-1-06; Amended at 27 Ok Reg 1869, eff 7-1-10; Amended at 27
					 Ok Reg 2646, eff 6-21-10 (emergency); Amended at 28 Ok Reg 1669, eff
					 7-1-11