Dependency Glossary

Welcome

Navigation

Click on a letter to find your word.
Click on an arrow to return to the top of the page.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L
M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A	Adjudication Hearing	In child welfare proceedings, the trial stage at which the court determines whether allegations of dependency, abuse, or neglect concerning a child are sustained by the evidence and, if so, are legally sufficient to support state intervention on behalf of the child; provides the basis for state intervention into a family, as opposed to the disposition hearing which concerns the nature of such intervention; in some states, adjudication hearings are referred to as 'jurisdictional' or 'fact-finding' hearings.
	Adoptive Parent	The adult person with whom a relationship is legally established to a child not biologically related. Under the adoptive relationship, the child becomes the heir and is entitled to all other privileges belonging to a natural child of the adoptive parent.
	Adoptive Hearing	Judicial proceeding in which a relationship is legally established between adult individual(s) and a child not biologically related.
B	-------
C	Case Flow Management	Administrative and Judicial processes designed to reduce delays in litigation; processes which assist the court in monitoring child welfare agencies to make sure dependency cases are moved diligently and decisively toward completion.
	Child Abuse	To hurt or injure a child by maltreatment. As defined by statutes in the majority of states, generally limited to maltreatment that causes or threatens to cause lasting harm to a child.
	Child Custody	Legal authority to determine the care, supervision, and discipline of a child; when assigned to an individual or couple, includes physical care and supervision. Includes guardianship of the person of a minor such as may be awarded by a probate court.
	Child Neglect	To fail to give proper attention to a child; to deprive a child; to allow a lapse in care and supervision that causes or threatens to cause lasting harm to a child.
	Child Protective Services (CPS)	A division of Administration for Children, Youth, and Families. CPS: The entity within ACYF that accepts and investigates referrals about child abuse or neglect.
	Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)	A specially screened and trained volunteer, appointed by the court, who conducts an independent investigation of child abuse, neglect, or other dependency matters, and submits a formal report offering advisory recommendations as to the best interests of the child. In some jurisdictions, volunteers without formal legal training, such as CASA's, are appointed to represent abused and neglected children, serving in the capacity of a Guardian ad Litem. See Guardian ad Litem.
D	Delinquent	A child who has committed an offense that is unlawful and would be punishable by law if the child were an adult.
	Dependent child	A person under 18 years of age subject to the jurisdiction of the court because of child abuse or neglect.
	Department of Economic Security (DES)	Administration for Administration for Children, Youth, and Families (ACYF) Children, Youth, and is part of the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES). Families (ACYF): Child Protective Services (CPS) is a program under ACYF.
	Depravity	Morally bad or evil.
	Destitute	Without money to maintain support; a person abandoned by those responsible for supporting him or her.
	Direct Calendaring	An administrative scheduling system used by the courts in which child abuse and neglect cases involving a single family are assigned to a single judge or judicial officer at the time the case is first filed, and of the duration of government involvement with a specific family. The initially-assigned judge conduct all subsequent hearings, conferences, and trials.
	Disposition Hearing	The stage of the juvenile court process in which, after finding that a child is within jurisdiction of the court, the court determines who shall have custody and control of the child; elicits judicial decision as to whether to continue out-of-home placement or to remove a child from home.
	Diversion Programs	Community-based services designed to prevent the necessity of child abuse, neglect, or other dependency matters coming before the court.
E	-------
F	(FCRB) Foster Care Review Board	Foster Care Review Boards are made up of five, specially trained, volunteers by the presiding juvenile court judge in each county. Review Boards serve in a quasi-judicial function and review, within six months of placement and every six months thereafter, the case of each child who remains in out-of-home placement and who is the subject of a dependency action. Boards determine what efforts have been made by the social services agency with whom the child has been placed, to carry out the plan for the permanent placement of the child. Review Boards submit recommendations to the presiding juvenile court judge in each county to assist in their court review and decision making process.
	Formal Mediation	Structured negotiations involving parents, social service agencies, and independent third-party representatives involved in reaching joint solutions in matters before the court.
	Foster Care	Temporary residential care provided to a child placed pursuant to a neglect or dependency hearing; can include care by a non-biological foster family, group care, residential care, or institutional care.
	Foster Family Care	A form of foster care involving placement of a child with a non-biological family that is approved and supervised by the state.
G	Guardian ad Litem	In certain dependency matters, a person with formal legal training appointed by a judge to represent the best interests of an allegedly abused or neglect child; differs from the legal advocate for the child who specifically represents the child's wishes before the court. See Legal advocate for the child. A recruited, screened and trained citizen volunteer without formal training, appointed by a judge to represent the best interests of an alleged abused or neglected child. See Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA).
G	Guardianship	A legally established relationship between a child and adult who is appointed to protect the child's best interests and to provide the child's care, welfare, education, discipline, maintenance, and support. Where guardianship is awarded to an individual or couple, it included the right to physical possession of the child. In many states, guardianship of this type is awarded by the probate court. Therefore, appointing a guardian for a foster child may require the action of two courts: the courts hearing the abuse or neglect (e.g., the juvenile or family court) and the probate court.
H	-------
I	Incorrigible	Unmanageable; uncontrollable, such as a perpetual criminal or a habitually delinquent minor.
	Indigent	An inability to support oneself: poor; needy
	Initial dependency hearing	This hearing is held only for parents or guardians who did not appear at the preliminary protective hearing, and must be held within 21 days after service is complete.
	Initial permanency hearing	The purpose of the hearing is to determine whether the child can be returned to the parents without a substantial risk of harm to his/her physical, mental or emotional health or safety. Failure of the parent to comply with the case plan must be considered as evidence that return would create a substantial risk of harm. No longer held as of 8/8/01.
J	Judicial Officer	Person who serves in an appointive capacity at the pleasure of an appointing judge, and whose decisions are subject to review by the judge; referred to in some jurisdictions as associate judges; magistrates; referees; special masters; hearing officers; commissioners.
	Judicially Supervised Settlement Conference	A judicially-mandated meeting in which the judge is present, which involves all attorneys and parties to a proceeding. The meeting typically occurs at a fixed time and place at least 10 days before a trial, and provides identification of issues to be tried, experts to be called, necessary reports, and witness availability.
	Judge	One who conducts of presides over a court of justice and resolves controversies between parties. The term also encompasses persons serving in an appointive capacity whose decisions are subject to review by a judge, including associative judges, magistrates, referees, special masters, hearing officers, and commissioners.
K	Knowingly	Consciously; with awareness; with knowledge; intentionally
L	Legal advocate for the child	In certain dependency matters, a person with formal training appointed by a juvenile or family court to specifically represent the wishes of an allegedly abused or neglected child under the court's jurisdiction; differs from a Guardian ad litem appointed to represent the best interests of a child before the court. See Guardian ad litem.
	Legal Custody	Legal authority to determine the care, supervision, and discipline of a child; when assigned to an individual or couple, includes physical care and supervision. Includes guardianship of the person of a minor such as may be awarded by a probate court.
	Long-term Foster Care	Extended residential care provided to a minor child placed pursuant to a neglect or dependency hearing; can include care by a non-biological foster family, group care, residential care, or institutional care.
M	Master Calendaring	An administrative scheduling system used by the courts in which child abuse and neglect cases may be reassigned to different judges at different stages of the case.
	Mediation	Process by which a neutral mediator assists all of the parties in voluntarily reaching a consensual agreement about issues at hand; a process of facilitated communication between parties designed to resolve issues and agree upon a plan of action.
	Motion	An application to a court made in reference to a pending action, addressed to a matte within the discretion of a judge.
N	Non-Custodial Parent	With respect to a dependent child, a parent who does not reside with that child and, if there has been a determination of legal custody with respect to the dependent child, does not have legal custody of the child.
O	-------
P	Permanency Planning Hearing	A special type of post-dispositional proceeding designed to reach a decision concerning the permanent placement of a child; the time of the hearing represents a deadline within which the final direction of a case is to be determined. Held no more than 12 months after removal as of 8/8/01.
	Petition/Pleading	A formal written request or 'prayer' for a certain thing to be done.
	Preliminary protective hearing	The first hearing in the dependency proceedings is the preliminary protective hearing (PPH). This hearing must be held five to seven working days after the child has been taken into custody. The hearing may be continued once for no more than five days. At the hearing, the Court shall enter orders regarding the placement of the child pending the determination of the dependency petition and visitation, if any, if the child is not returned to the parent or guardian. The Court shall also determine if the tasks and services set forth in the case plan are reasonable and necessary to carry out the case plan.
	Pre-hearing conference	The preliminary protective hearing shall be preceded by a pre-hearing conference occurring out of the presence of the court. The preliminary protective hearing shall occur immediately following the pre-hearing conference. The pre-hearing conference shall be conducted with the objective of maximizing the opportunity for non-adversarial resolution of issues. The pre-hearing shall be conducted by a person designated as a facilitator by the court to discuss the primary issues. The primary issues are temporary custody and placement; visitation, if appropriate, and the provision of services to the child and family. At the conclusion of the pre-hearing conference the participants shall attend the preliminary protective hearing. At the preliminary protective hearing the court may consider any agreements reached by the parties during the pre-hearing conference and, if approved, order them into effect.
	Putative Father	The alleged or supposed male parent; the person alleged to have fathered a child whose parentage is at issue.
Q	-------
R	Reasonable Efforts	Public Law 96-272, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 requires that "reasonable efforts" be made to prevent or eliminate the need for the removal of a dependent, neglected, or abused child, from the child's home and to reunify the family if the child is removed. The reasonable efforts requirement of the federal law is designed to ensure that families are provided with services to prevent their disruption and to respond to the problems of unnecessary disruption of families and foster care drift. To enforce this provision, the juvenile court must determine, in each case where federal reimbursement is sought, whether the agency has made the required reasonable efforts.
	Residential Care	A form of foster care involving placement in group or congregate care.
	Review Hearing	Court proceedings which take place after disposition in which the court comprehensively reviews the status of a case, examines progress made by the parties since the conclusion of the disposition hearing, provides for correction and revision of the case plan, and makes sure that cases progress and children spend as short a time as possible in temporary placement.
S	Stipulation	An agreement, admission, or concession made by parties in judicial proceedings or by their attorneys, relating to business before the court.
T	Temporary Orders	A dependency petition will usually request that the court issue temporary orders regarding the placement and care of the child. Before issuing such orders, the court must review the petition and the affidavit to determine if the facts alleged support a finding that "reasonable grounds exist to believe that temporary custody is clearly necessary to protect the child from suffering abuse or neglect."
T	Termination of Parental Right Hearing	A formal proceeding usually sought by a state agency at the conclusion of dependency proceedings, in which severance of all legal ties between child and parents is sought against the will of one or both parents, and in which the burden of proof must be by clear and convincing evidence; the most heavily litigated and appealed stage of dependency proceedings; also referred to in some states as a 'severance,' 'guardianship with power to consent to adoption,' 'permanent commitment,' 'permanent neglect,' or 'modification' hearing.
U	-------
V	Voluntary Agreement for Care	Arrangement with a public child protection agency for the temporary placement of a child into foster care, entered into prior to court involvement, and typically used in cases in which short-term placement is necessary for a defined purpose such as when a parent enters inpatient hospital care; a method of immediately placing a child in foster care with parental consent prior to initiating court involvement, thereby avoiding the need to petition the court for emergency removal.
W	-------
X	-------
Y	-------
Z	-------

[../../dcsd_btm.htm]