2020 New York Laws
SOS - Social Services
Article 10-A - William B. Hoyt Memorial Children and Family Trust Fund Act
481-C - Definitions.

§ 481-c. Definitions. As used in this article:
  1.  "Domestic  violence" shall mean any crime or violation, as defined
in the penal law, which has been alleged to have been committed  by  any
family  or  household  member  against  any member of the same family or
household.
  2. "Family  or  household  members"  shall  mean  persons  related  by
consanguinity or affinity or unrelated persons who are continually or at
regular  intervals  living  or  in  the  past  continually or at regular
intervals lived in the same household,  including  victims  and  persons
accused of having committed acts of domestic violence.
  3.  "Child  abuse  and  maltreatment"   shall have the same meaning as
provided for in section four hundred twelve of this chapter.
  4. "Public agency" shall  mean  a  local  office,  board,  department,
bureau,  commission,  division,  agency,  other instrumentality of local
government, or public or private educational institution.
  5. "Family  violence"  shall  mean  any  act  which  would  constitute
domestic  violence  as defined in subdivision one of this section or any
act which would constitute child abuse and maltreatment  as  defined  in
subdivision three of this section.
  6. "Primary prevention" shall mean strengthening family functioning to
insure  that  family  violence  never  takes  place or is less likely to
occur. Primary prevention shall include: educating family  or  household
members or prospective parents in order to avoid patterns which can lead
to  family  violence; increasing in-home services to new and prospective
parents; strengthening  the  relationships  among  community  resources,
child  protective  service  units  and  citizen  groups  to  promote and
encourage  the  development  of  family  violence  prevention  programs;
increasing  the awareness of professionals and the public to the effects
of stress, social isolation and the lack of social and parenting  skills
for the purpose of making available programs deemed helpful for children
and  adults;  and  any  other  program  deemed  helpful  in  the primary
prevention of family violence.
  7. "Secondary prevention" shall mean addressing  the  early  signs  of
family  violence  or  risk  of  family  violence  through  treatment  of
presenting  problems  to  prevent  further  problems  from   developing.
Secondary  prevention  shall  include: providing supportive services and
temporary shelter to family or household members who are  considered  at
risk  of  family  violence;  strengthening  self-help groups composed of
individuals with a history of or at risk of family violence;  increasing
in-home  services  to  families  at  risk  of  violence;  promoting  and
encouraging the development of community resources for the treatment of,
and improving the response to family violence; providing information and
referral  services  to  resources  and/or  establishing  linkages  among
services  which  are  in  the  community;  and  any other program deemed
helpful in the treatment of persons at risk of family violence.
  8. "Family resource and support program" shall mean a community-based,
prevention focused entity that:
  (a) provides, through direct service, core services, including:
  (1) parent education, support and leadership services,  together  with
services    characterized   by   relationships   between   parents   and
professionals that are based on equality and respect,  and  designed  to
assist  parents  in  acquiring  parenting  skills,  learning about child
development, and responding  appropriately  to  the  behavior  of  their
children;
  (2)  services  to  facilitate  the  ability  of  parents  to  serve as
resources to one another (such as  through  mutual  support  and  parent
self-help groups);
  (3) outreach services provided through voluntary home visits and other
methods  to  assist parents in becoming aware of and able to participate
in family resources and support program activities;
  (4)  community  and  social  services  to assist families in obtaining
community resources; and
  (5) follow-up services;
  (b) provides, or arranges for the provision of,  other  core  services
through contracts or agreements with other local agencies, including all
forms of respite care services; and
  (c)  provides  access  to  optional services, directly or by contract,
purchase of service, or interagency agreement, including:
  (1) child care, early childhood  development  and  early  intervention
services;
  (2) referral to self-sufficiency and life management skills training;
  (3)  referral  to  education  services,  such  as scholastic tutoring,
literacy training,  and general educational degree services;
  (4) referral to services providing job readiness skills;
  (5) child abuse and neglect prevention activities;
  (6) referral to services that families with children with disabilities
or special needs may require;
  (7)  community  and   social   service   referral,   including   early
developmental screening of children;
  (8) peer counseling;
  (9) referral for substance abuse counseling and treatment; and
  (10) help line services.