The following words and terms are for the purpose of this chapter and are important to understand these requirements:
"Abuse or neglect" means the injury, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child as defined in RCW
26.44.020.
"Adult" means a person 18 years old or older, not in the care of the department.
"Asexual" means the lack of a sexual attraction or desire for other individuals.
"Assessment" means the appraisal or evaluation of a child's physical, mental, social and emotional condition.
"Bisexual" means individuals who have an emotional or physical attraction to individuals of the same and different genders.
"Business hours" means hours during the day in which state business is commonly conducted. Typically, the hours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays are considered to be standard hours of operation.
"Capacity" means the age range and maximum number of children on your current license.
"Care provider" means any person who is licensed or authorized to provide care for children and cleared to have unsupervised access to children under the authority of a license.
"Case manager" means a facility employee who coordinates the planning efforts of all the persons working on behalf of a child.
"Case plan" means a written document adhered to and followed by a foster child's parents, foster parents, the department, and all other caregivers. A case plan may include, but is not limited to:
(a) A description of the type of home or facility in which a child is to be placed, including a discussion of the safety and appropriateness of the placement and how the department plans to carry out the voluntary placement agreement entered into or judicial determination made with respect to the child;
(b) A plan for assuring that the child receives safe and proper care and that services are provided to the child, parents or guardians, and foster parents in order to improve the conditions in the parents' home, facilitate returning the child to their own home or the permanent placement of the child, and address the needs of the child while in foster care, including a discussion of the appropriateness of the services that have been provided to the child under the plan;
(c) The health and education records of the child, including the most recent information available regarding:
(i) The names and addresses of the child's health and educational providers;
(ii) The child's grade level performance;
(iii) The child's school records;
(iv) A record of the child's immunizations;
(v) The child's known medical conditions;
(vi) The child's medications; and
(vii) Any other relevant health and education information concerning the child determined to be appropriate by the department;
(d) Relevant professional assessments of the child;
(e) Court orders concerning the child; and
(f) Any other relevant plan, assessment, knowledge, material, or information concerning the child determined to be appropriate by the department.
"Chapter" means chapter
110-145 WAC.
"Child," "children," or "youth" for this chapter, means a person who is one of the following:
(a) Under 18 years old;
(b) Up to 21 years of age and enrolled in services through the department of social and health services developmental disabilities administration (DDA) the day prior to their 18th birthday and pursuing either a high school or equivalency course of study, such as a GED or HSEC, or vocational program;
(c) Up to 21 years of age and participates in the extended foster care program;
(d) Up to 21 years of age with intellectual and developmental disabilities;
(e) Up to 25 years of age and under the custody of juvenile rehabilitation.
"Child placing agency (CPA)" means an agency licensed to place children for temporary care, continued care, or adoption.
"Compliance agreement" means a written improvement plan to address the changes needed to meet licensing requirements.
"CW" means the division of child welfare within DCYF. CW provides case management to children and families involved in the child welfare system.
"Day treatment" is a specialized service that provides educational and therapeutic group experiences for emotionally disturbed children.
"DDA" means the developmental disabilities administration in the department of social and health services. DDA provides services and case management to children and adults who meet the eligibility criteria.
"Deescalation" means strategies used to defuse a volatile situation, to assist a child to regain behavior control, and to avoid a physical restraint or other behavioral intervention.
"Department" means the department of children, youth, and families (DCYF).
"Developmental disability" is a disability as defined in RCW
71A.10.020.
"Direct care" means direct, hands-on personal care and supervision to group care children.
"DOH" means the department of health.
"Electronic monitoring" means video or audio monitoring or recording used to watch or listen to children as a way to monitor their behavior.
"Emergency respite center (ERC)" means a licensed facility that may be commonly known as a crisis nursery, which provides emergency or crisis care for nondependent children birth through 17 years for up to 72 hours to prevent child abuse or neglect per RCW
74.15.020(d). ERCs may choose to be open up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Facilities may also provide family assessment, family support services, and referrals to community services.
"FBI" means the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
"Full-time" as used throughout this chapter when describing work experience means a minimum of 1,664 work hours in a calendar year or the equivalent of 32 work hours per week.
"Gay" means a sexual orientation to describe individuals who are emotionally or physically attracted to someone of the same gender. Gay is sometimes an umbrella term for the LGBTQIA+ community.
"Gender" or "gender identity" means an individual's inner sense of being a female, male, a blend of both or neither, or another gender. This may or may not correspond with an individual's sex assigned at birth.
"Gender expression" means individuals' outward communication of their gender through behavior or appearance. This may or may not conform to their sex assigned at birth or socially defined behaviors and characteristics typically associated with being either masculine or feminine.
"Gender fluid" means individuals whose gender identities are flexible, not permanent.
"Group care" is a general term for a licensed facility that is maintained and operated for a group of children on a 24-hour basis to provide a safe and healthy living environment that meets the developmental needs of the children in care, per RCW
74.15.020 (1)(f).
"Group home" is a specific license for residential care that provides care and supervision for children.
"Group receiving center" means a licensed facility that provides the basic needs of food, shelter, and supervision for children placed by the department, generally for 30 or fewer days.
"Guardian" has the same meaning in this chapter as defined in RCW
26.33.020(11).
"Guns or weapons" means any device intended to shoot projectiles under pressure or that can be used to attack. These include, but are not limited to, BB guns, pellet guns, air rifles, stun guns, antique guns, handguns, rifles, shotguns, and archery equipment.
"Health care staff" means anyone providing qualified medical consultation to your staff or medical care to the children in your care.
"Hearing" means the administrative review process conducted by an administrative law judge.
"I, my, you, and your" refers to an applicant for a license issued under this chapter, and to any party holding a license under this chapter.
"Infant" means a child less than 12 months of age.
"Intellectual and developmental disability" means children with deficits in general mental abilities and impairment in everyday adaptive functioning.
"Interim facility" means an overnight youth shelter, emergency respite center or a resource and assessment center.
"Intersex" is an umbrella term used to describe a wide range of natural bodily variations when the body is born with a combination of chromosomes, internal organs, or external genitalia that do not develop as expected.
"Lesbian" means females or women who have an emotional or physical attraction for other females or women.
"LGBTQIA+" means lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual. The "+" represents identities not specifically named in the LGBTQIA acronym, e.g., pansexual, gender nonbinary, and Two-Spirit.
"License" means a permit issued by us that your facility meets the licensing standards established in this chapter.
"Licensed health care provider" means an MD (medical doctor), DO (doctor of osteopathy), ND (doctor of naturopathy), PA (physician's assistant), or an ARNP (advanced registered nurse practitioner).
"Licensing division (LD)" means the division within DCYF that licenses and monitors foster homes, child placing agencies, and licensed group care facilities.
"Licensing provider portal" means the internet connected provider application system used by the department and agencies to securely store digital employment and licensing documents and data.
"Local fire authority" means your local fire inspection authority having jurisdiction in the area where your facility is located.
"Maternity service" as defined in RCW
74.15.020. These are also referred to as pregnant and parenting youth programs.
"Medically fragile" means the condition of a child who requires the availability of 24-hour skilled care from a health care professional or specially trained staff or volunteers in a group care setting. These conditions may be present all the time or frequently occurring. If the technology, support, and services being received by the medically fragile children are interrupted or denied, the child may, without immediate health care intervention, experience death.
"Missing child" means any child less than 18 years of age in licensed care or under the care, custody, and authority of DCYF and the child's whereabouts are unknown, the child has left care without the permission of the child's caregiver or DCYF, or both. This does not include children in a dependency guardianship.
"Multidisciplinary teams (MDT)" means groups formed to assist children who are considered at-risk children in need of services, and their parents.
"Negative action" means a court order, court judgment, or adverse action taken by an agency, in any state, federal, local, tribal, or foreign jurisdiction, that results in a finding against the applicant reasonably related to the individual's suitability, and competence to care for or have unsupervised access to children in out-of-home care. This may include, but is not limited to:
(a) A decision issued by an administrative law judge;
(b) A final determination, decision, or finding made by an agency following an investigation;
(c) An adverse licensing action, including termination, revocation, or denial of a license or certification, or if there is a pending adverse action, the voluntary surrender of a license, certification, or contract in lieu of an adverse action;
(d) A revocation, denial, or restriction placed on any professional license; or
(e) A final decision of a disciplinary board.
"Nonambulatory" means not able to walk or exit to safety without the physical assistance of another individual.
"Nonbinary" is a term of self-identification for individuals who do not identify within the limited and binary terms that have described gender identity, e.g., female and male. Nonbinary is also an umbrella term for many identities such as gender expansive, gender fluid, and genderqueer.
"Out-of-home placement" means a child's placement in a home or facility other than the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian.
"Overnight youth shelter" means a licensed nonprofit agency that provides overnight shelter to homeless or runaway youth in need of emergency sleeping arrangements.
"Parent" has the same meaning in this chapter as defined in RCW
26.26A.010(15).
"Probationary license" means a license issued as part of a corrective action to an individual or agency that has previously been issued a full license but is out of compliance with minimum licensing requirements and has entered into an agreement aimed at correcting deficiencies.
"Property or premises" means a facility's buildings and adjoining grounds that are managed by a person or agency in charge.
"Psychotropic medication" means a type of medicine that is prescribed to affect or alter thought processes, mood, sleep, or behavior. These include antipsychotic, antidepressant, and antianxiety medications.
"Queer" is a term used to express LGBTQIA+ identities and orientations. The term is sometimes used as an umbrella term for all LGBTQIA+ individuals.
"Questioning" means individuals who are exploring their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression at any age.
"Relative" means a person who is related to a child under RCW
74.15.020.
"Resource and assessment center" means an agency that provides short-term emergency and crisis care for a period up to 72 hours, (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) to children who have been removed from their parent's or guardian's care by child protective services or law enforcement.
"Secure crisis residential center" means a licensed facility open 24 hours a day, seven days a week that provides temporary residential placement, assessment and services in a secure facility to prevent youth from leaving the facility without permission, per RCW
13.32A.030(15).
"Semi-secure crisis residential center" means a licensed facility open 24 hours a day, seven days a week that provides temporary residential placement, assessment and services for runaway youth and youth in conflict with their family or in need of emergency placement.
"Sexual orientation" means an individual's emotional or physical attraction to other individuals.
"SOGIE" is an acronym for sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression which are distinct identifiers everyone has. LGBTQIA+ is a subdistinction within SOGIE self-identifiers. SOGIE includes LGBTQIA+ as well as heterosexual, cisgender, and nonquestioning individuals.
"Staff" or "staff member" means a person who provides services for your facility and is paid by your facility. The definition of staff member includes paid interns.
"Staffed residential home" means a licensed facility that provides 24-hour care to six or fewer children who require more supervision than can be provided in a foster home.
"Transgender" is an umbrella term for individuals whose gender identity or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Gender-affirming medical care is not a prerequisite to identify as transgender. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation.
"Treatment plan" means individual plans that identify the service needs of the child, including the child's parent or guardian, and identifies the treatment goals and strategies for achieving those goals.
"Two-Spirit" means a modern, pan-indigenous, umbrella term used by some indigenous North Americans to describe Native people in their communities who fulfill a traditional third-gender or other gender-variant, ceremonial, and social role in their cultures. Being Two-Spirit does not imply any specific sexual orientation.
"Volunteer" means a person who provides services for your facility without compensation.
"Washington state patrol fire protection bureau (WSP/FPB)" means the state fire marshal.
"We, our, and us" refers to DCYF and its staff.
"Young child" refers to a child age 12 months through eight years old.
