2016 West Virginia Code
CHAPTER 49. CHILD WELFARE
ARTICLE 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS AND DEFINITIONS.
§49-1-206. Definitions related, but not limited, to child advocacy, care, residential and treatment programs.

When used in this chapter, terms defined in this section have the meanings ascribed to them that relate to, but are not limited to, child advocacy, care, residential and treatment programs, except in those instances where a different meaning is provided or the context in which the word is used clearly indicates that a different meaning is intended.

"Child advocacy center (CAC)" means a community-based organization that is a member in good standing with the West Virginia Child Abuse Network, Inc., as set forth in section one hundred one, article three of this chapter.

"Child care" means responsibilities assumed and services performed in relation to a child's physical, emotional, psychological, social and personal needs and the consideration of the child's rights and entitlements, but does not include secure detention or incarceration under the jurisdiction of the Division of Juvenile Services pursuant to part nine, article two of this chapter. It includes the provision of child care services or residential services.

"Child care center" means a facility maintained by the state or any county or municipality thereof, or any agency or facility maintained by an individual, firm, corporation, association or organization, public or private for the care of thirteen or more children for child care services in any setting, if the facility is open for more than thirty days per year per child.

"Child care services" means direct care and protection of children during a portion of a twenty-four hour day outside of the child's own home which provides experiences to children that foster their healthy development and education.

"Child placing agency" means a child welfare agency organized for the purpose of placing children in private family homes for foster care or for adoption. The function of a child-placing agency may include the investigation and certification of foster family homes and foster family group homes as provided in this chapter. The function of a child placing agency may also include the supervision of children who are sixteen or seventeen years old and living in unlicensed residences.

"Child welfare agency" means any agency or facility maintained by the state or any county or municipality thereof, or any agency or facility maintained by an individual, firm, corporation, association or organization, public or private, to receive children for care and maintenance or for placement in residential care facilities, including, without limitation, private homes or any facility that provides care for unmarried mothers and their children. A child welfare agency does not include juvenile detention facilities or juvenile correctional facilities operated by or under contract with the Division of Juvenile Services, pursuant to part nine, article two of this chapter, nor any other facility operated by that division for the secure housing or holding of juveniles committed to its custody.

"Community based" means a facility, program or service located near the child's home or family and involving community participation in planning, operation and evaluation and which may include, but is not limited to, medical, educational, vocational, social and psychological guidance, training, special education, counseling, substance abuse and any other treatment or rehabilitation services.

"Community-based juvenile probation sanctions" means any of a continuum of nonresidential accountability measures, programs and sanctions in response to a technical violation of probation, as part of a system of community-based juvenile probation sanctions and incentives, that may include, but are not limited to:

(A) Electronic monitoring;

(B) Drug and alcohol screening, testing or monitoring;

(C) Youth reporting centers;

(D) Reporting and supervision requirements;

(E) Community service; and

(F) Rehabilitative interventions such as family counseling, substance abuse treatment, restorative justice programs and behavioral or mental health treatment.

"Community services" means nonresidential prevention or intervention services or programs that are intended to reduce delinquency and future court involvement.

"Evidence-based practices" means policies, procedures, programs and practices demonstrated by research to reliably produce reductions in the likelihood of reoffending.

"Facility" means a place or residence, including personnel, structures, grounds and equipment used for the care of a child or children on a residential or other basis for any number of hours a day in any shelter or structure maintained for that purpose. Facility does not include any juvenile detention facility or juvenile correctional facility operated by or under contract with the Division of Juvenile Services for the secure housing or holding of juveniles committed to its custody. "Family child care facility" means any facility which is used to provide nonresidential child care services for compensation for seven to twelve children, including children who are living in the household, who are under six years of age. No more than four of the total number of children may be under twenty-four months of age. A facility may be in a provider's residence or a separate building.

"Family child care home" means a facility which is used to provide nonresidential child care services for compensation in a provider's residence. The provider may care for four to six children, at one time including children who are living in the household, who are under six years of age. No more than two of the total number of children may be under twenty-four months of age."Family resource network" means:

(A) A local community organization charged with service coordination, needs and resource assessment, planning, community mobilization and evaluation, and which has met the following criteria:

(i) Agreeing to a single governing entity;

(ii) Agreeing to engage in activities to improve service systems for children and families within the community;

(iii) Addressing a geographic area of a county or two or more contiguous counties;

(iv) Having nonproviders, which include family representatives and other members who are not employees of publicly funded agencies, as the majority of the members of the governing body, and having family representatives as the majority of the nonproviders;

(v) Having representatives of local service agencies, including, but not limited to, the public health department, the behavioral health center, the local health and human resources agency and the county school district, on the governing body; and

(vi) Accepting principles consistent with the cabinet's mission as part of its philosophy.

(B) A family resource network may not provide direct services, which means to provide programs or services directly to children and families.

"Family support", for the purposes of part six, article two of this chapter, means goods and services needed by families to care for their family members with developmental disabilities and to enjoy a quality of life comparable to other community members.

"Family support program" means a coordinated system of family support services administered by the Department of Health and Human Resources through contracts with behavioral health agencies throughout the state.

"Foster family home" means a private residence which is used for the care on a residential basis of no more than five children who are unrelated by blood, marriage or adoption to any adult member of the household.

"Health care and treatment" means:

(A) Developmental screening;

(B) Mental health screening;

(C) Mental health treatment;

(D) Ordinary and necessary medical and dental examination and treatment;

(E) Preventive care including ordinary immunizations, tuberculin testing and well-child care; and

(F) Nonemergency diagnosis and treatment. However, nonemergency diagnosis and treatment does not include an abortion. "Home-based family preservation services" means services dispensed by the Division of Human Services or by another person, association or group who has contracted with that division to dispense services when those services are intended to stabilize and maintain the natural or surrogate family in order to prevent the placement of children in substitute care. There are two types of home-based family preservation services and they are as follows:

(A) Intensive, short-term intervention of four to six weeks; and

(B) Home-based, longer-term after care following intensive intervention.

"Informal family child care" means a home that is used to provide nonresidential child care services for compensation for three or fewer children, including children who are living in the household, who are under six years of age. Care is given in the provider's own home to at least one child who is not related to the caregiver.

"Nonsecure facility" means any public or private residential facility not characterized by construction fixtures designed to physically restrict the movements and activities of individuals held in lawful custody in that facility and which provides its residents access to the surrounding community with supervision.

"Nonviolent misdemeanor offense" means a misdemeanor offense that does not include any of the following:

(A) An act resulting in bodily injury or death;

(B) The use of a weapon in the commission of the offense;

(C) A domestic abuse offense involving a significant or likely risk of harm to a family member or household member;

(D) A criminal sexual conduct offense; or

(E) Any offense for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

"Out-of-home placement" means a post-adjudication placement in a foster family home, group home, nonsecure facility, emergency shelter, hospital, psychiatric residential treatment facility, staff-secure facility, hardware secure facility, detention facility or other residential placement other than placement in the home of a parent, custodian or guardian.

"Out-of-school time" means a child care service which offers activities to children before and after school, on school holidays, when school is closed due to emergencies and on school calendar days set aside for teacher activities.

"Placement" means any temporary or permanent placement of a child who is in the custody of the state in any foster home, group home or other facility or residence.

"Pre-adjudicatory community supervision" means supervision provided to a youth prior to adjudication, a period of supervision up to one year for an alleged status or delinquency offense.

"Regional family support council" means the council established by the regional family support agency to carry out the responsibilities specified in part six, article two of this chapter.

"Relative family child care" means a home that provides nonresidential child care services only to children related to the caregiver. The caregiver is a grandparent, great grandparent, aunt, uncle, great-aunt, great-uncle or adult sibling of the child or children receiving care. Care is given in the provider's home.

"Residential services" means child care which includes the provision of nighttime shelter and the personal discipline and supervision of a child by guardians, custodians or other persons or entities on a continuing or temporary basis. It may include care and/or treatment for transitioning adults. Residential services does not include or apply to any juvenile detention facility or juvenile correctional facility operated by the Division of Juvenile Services, created pursuant to this chapter, for the secure housing or holding of juveniles committed to its custody.

"Risk and needs assessment" means a validated, standardized actuarial tool which identifies specific risk factors that increase the likelihood of reoffending and the factors that, when properly addressed, can reduce the likelihood of reoffending.

"Secure facility" means any public or private residential facility which includes construction fixtures designed to physically restrict the movements and activities of juveniles or other individuals held in lawful custody in such facility.

"Staff-secure facility" means any public or private residential facility characterized by staff restrictions of the movements and activities of individuals held in lawful custody in such facility and which limits its residents' access to the surrounding community, but is not characterized by construction fixtures designed to physically restrict the movements and activities of residents.

"Standardized screener" means a brief, validated nondiagnostic inventory or questionnaire designed to identify juveniles in need of further assessment for medical, substance abuse, emotional, psychological, behavioral, or educational issues, or other conditions.

"State family support council" means the council established by the Department of Health and Human Resources pursuant to part six, article two of this chapter to carry out the responsibilities specified in article two of this chapter.

"Time-limited reunification services" means individual, group and family counseling, inpatient, residential or outpatient substance abuse treatment services, mental health services, assistance to address domestic violence, services designed to provide temporary child care and therapeutic services for families, including crisis nurseries and transportation to or from those services, provided during fifteen of the most recent twenty-two months a child or juvenile has been in foster care, as determined by the earlier date of the first judicial finding that the child is subjected to abuse or neglect, or the date which is sixty days after the child or juvenile is removed from home.

"Technical violation" means an act that violates the terms or conditions of probation or a court order that does not constitute a new delinquent offense.

"Truancy diversion specialist" means a school-based probation officer or truancy social worker within a school or schools who, among other responsibilities, identifies truants and the causes of the truant behavior, and assists in developing a plan to reduce the truant behavior prior to court involvement.