The following definitions apply to this chapter:
"Abuse or neglect" means the same as defined in RCW 26.44.020.
"Administering medication" means the direct application of a drug to the body or an individual by injection, inhalation, ingestion, or any other means.
"Adults" means individuals 18 years old or older not in the care of the department.
"Agency" means the same as defined in RCW 74.15.020.
"Asexual" means the lack of a sexual attraction or desire for other individuals.
"Assessment" means the appraisal or evaluation of children's or youth's physical, mental, social, and emotional condition, and their family's ability to meet their needs.
"Bisexual" means individuals who have an emotional or physical attraction to individuals of the same and different genders.
"Capacity" means the age range and maximum number of children and youth on the current license.
"Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)" means an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when an individual's breathing or heartbeat has stopped.
"Care coordinators" means individuals coordinating the efforts to meet children's and youth's needs.
"Caseworkers" means the primary workers assigned to the children or youth through the department or another government agency, including tribal governments.
"Certified nursing assistant (CNA)" means the same as nursing assistant as defined in RCW 18.88A.020.
"Child in need of services (CHINS)" means the same as defined in RCW 13.32A.030.
"Child protective services (CPS)" means the same as defined in RCW 26.44.020.
"Children" or "youth" means individuals who are one of the following:
(a) Younger than 18 years old;
(b) Up to 22 years old and enrolled in services through DDCS in the department of social and health services the day prior to their 18th birthday and pursuing either a:
(i) High school or equivalency course of study concluding at the end of the school year in which the students turn 22 years old; or
(ii) Vocational program concluding at the end of the school year in which the students turn 22 years old;
(c) Up to 21 years old:
(i) When participating in the extended foster care (EFC) program; or
(ii) With developmental disabilities.
"Community children or youth" means children or youth under the custody of their parents or guardians.
"Compliance agreement" means a written improvement plan to meet licensing requirements in this chapter.
"De-escalation" means strategies used to defuse a volatile situation, to assist children or youth to regain behavior control, and to avoid a physical restraint or other behavioral intervention.
"Department" means the Washington state department of children, youth, and families.
"Department children or youth" means children or youth who are under the custody of the department.
"Department of health (DOH)" means the Washington state department of health.
"Developmental capabilities" means the combined physical, cognitive, social, emotional, spiritual, and communication capabilities of children or youth that evolve over time.
"Developmental disabilities community services (DDCS)" means the developmental disabilities community services in the department of social and health services.
"Developmental disability" means the same as defined in RCW 71A.10.020.
"Direct care" means direct personal care and supervision to children and youth in care.
"Direct care staff" means individuals employed and paid by licensees who provide direct personal care and supervision to the children and youth in care.
"Direct care volunteers" means individuals who provide direct hands-on personal care and supervision to the children and youth in care without compensation.
"Early periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment (EPSDT)" means an early periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment exam completed by a licensed health care provider.
"Electronic monitoring" means video or audio monitoring or recording used to watch or listen to children or youth to monitor their behavior.
"Emergency medication" means medication used to treat conditions that may carry a high risk of mortality or long-term negative impacts on individuals' daily functions or quality of life.
"Emergency respite centers (ERCs)" means the same as defined in RCW 74.15.020.
"Enhanced supervision" means a heightened standard of supervision in which personnel are able to monitor children and youth in care by seeing or hearing them or both and instantly respond to any unsafe or harmful events that have occurred.
"Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)" means the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
"Extended foster care (EFC)" means the same as defined in RCW 74.13.020.
"Firearms" means a weapon or device designed to cause bodily harm or physical damage from which projectiles may be fired by an explosive such as gunpowder. These include, but are not limited to, handguns, rifles, and shotguns.
"Full-time" 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 facilities (GCFs)" means licensed facilities, other than foster family homes or residential private schools, that are maintained and operated for a group of children or youth in an overnight shelter or on a 24-hour basis.
"Group homes" means licensed facilities that provide 24-hour care to children and youth who require more supervision than can be provided in a foster home.
"Group receiving centers (GRCs)" means licensed facilities that provide the basic needs of food, shelter, and supervision for children and youth placed by the department, generally for 30 or fewer days.
"Guardians" means the same as legal guardian defined in RCW 26.33.020.
"Health care staff" means anyone providing qualified medical consultation to licensees or medical care to the children and youth in care.
"Inaccessible" means a method to prevent children and youth from reaching, entering, using, or getting to items, areas, or materials in the facility.
"Indian child" means the same as defined in WAC 110-110-0010.
"Infants" means children from birth to one year old.
"Interim facilities" means OYSs, ERCs, or RACs.
"Intersex" means 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.
"Lesbians" 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, including pansexual, gender nonbinary, and Two-Spirit.
"License" means a permit issued by the department when the licensee meets the licensing requirements established in this chapter.
"Licensed health care providers" means medical doctors, doctors of osteopathy, doctors of naturopathy, physician assistants, or advanced registered nurse practitioners.
"Licensed practical nurses (LPNs)" means the same as defined in RCW 18.79.060.
"Licensees" means individuals or entities named on a license issued by the department that authorizes them to provide care to children and youth. Licensees' requirements apply to the licensee and their employees, volunteers, interns, and work study students.
"Licensing division (LD)" means the division in the department that supports child safety and well-being through licensing, monitoring, compliance, investigations, and technical assistance to individuals and agencies that provide direct care for children and youth outside the care of their parents or guardians.
"Lived experience" means experience outside of professional, volunteer, and educational background that is reflective of the demographic of children and youth in the licensee's care.
"Location tracking" means the process of monitoring the physical location of individuals using technology.
"Maternity services" means the same as defined in RCW 74.15.020. These are also referred to as pregnant and parenting services.
"Medically fragile" means the condition of a child or youth who requires the availability of 24-hour skilled care from health care staff or specially trained staff in a group care setting. If the technology, support, and services being received by the medically fragile children or youth are interrupted or denied, they may, without immediate health care intervention, experience death. These conditions may be present all the time or frequently occurring.
"Medication management" means the process of accepting, administering, storing, documenting, and disposing medication.
"Missing children" means any child or youth placed in a GCF whose whereabouts are unknown or who has left care without the permission of their caregiver or the department. This does not include children or youth in the EFC program.
"Multidisciplinary teams" means the same as defined in RCW 13.32A.030.
"National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)" means the National Fire Protection Association.
"Negative actions" means the same as defined in WAC 110-04-0020.
"Nonbinary" means 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.
"Nondirect care staff" means individuals employed and paid by licensees who carry out duties and tasks, other than providing direct care to children and youth, for a GCF.
"Nondirect care volunteers" means individuals who carry out duties and tasks, other than providing direct care to children and youth, for a GCF without being employed or compensated by the licensee.
"Nursing assistant-certified (CNA)" means the same as defined in RCW 18.88A.020.
"Nursing assistant-registered (NAR)" means the same as defined in RCW 18.88A.020.
"Other weapons" means instruments other than firearms intentionally designed to cause bodily harm or physical damage. These include, but are not limited to, BB guns, pellet guns, air rifles, stun guns, and archery equipment.
"Out-of-home care" means the same as defined in RCW 13.34.030.
"Over-the-counter medications" means drugs that can be obtained without a prescription and their use is not restricted by a licensed health care provider. For the purpose of this chapter this includes, but is not limited to, herbal supplements, vitamins, eye drops, ointments, and pain relievers.
"Overnight youth shelters (OYSs)" means licensed nonprofit agencies that provide overnight shelter to homeless or runaway youth in need of emergency sleeping arrangements.
"Parents" means the same as defined in RCW 26.26A.010.
"Personnel" means every paid and unpaid individual working directly for the licensee, including interns.
"Premises" means homes, buildings, and grounds, including those adjacent to the residential property, that are owned, rented, or managed by applicants or licensees.
"Probationary licenses" means the same as defined in RCW 74.15.020.
"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" means 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.
"Registered nurses (RNs)" means nurse as defined in RCW 18.79.020.
"Relatives" means the same as defined in RCW 13.36.020(5), outlined in RCW 74.15.020(2) and 11.130.010(32), or caregivers of Indian children or youth who are defined by tribal code or customs as relatives or extended family.
"Representatives" means the individuals responsible for placing children or youth in care, including:
(a) Caseworkers for department children or youth;
(b) Caseworkers for children or youth in the tribe's jurisdiction; or
(c) Parents or guardians of community children or youth.
"Resource and assessment centers (RACs)" means the same as defined in RCW 74.15.020.
"Secure crisis residential centers (CRCs)" means licensed facilities open 24 hours a day, seven days a week that provide temporary residential placement, assessment, and services in secure facilities to prevent youth from leaving the facility without permission.
"Semi-secure crisis residential centers (CRCs)" means licensed facilities open 24 hours a day, seven days a week that provide temporary residential placement, assessment, and services for runaway youth and youth in conflict with their family or in need of emergency placement. Semi-secure CRCs are not locked facilities but are operated in a way that reasonably assures that youth placed there will not leave without permission.
"Sexual orientation" means an individual's emotional or physical attraction to other individuals.
"Sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE)" means distinct identifiers everyone has. LGBTQIA+ is a subdistinction within SOGIE self-identifiers. SOGIE includes LGBTQIA+ as well as heterosexual, cisgender, and nonquestioning individuals.
"Staffed residential homes (SRHs)" means licensed homes that provide 24-hour care to six or fewer children and youth who require more supervision than can be provided in a foster home.
"Supervise" or "supervision" means to be responsible for the children and youth in care, including their health, safety, and well-being.
"Supportive individuals" means any nonrelatives identified by the children or youth that are important to them.
"Transgender" means 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 plans" means individual plans that identify the service needs of children or youth, including their parents or guardians, and the treatment goals and strategies for achieving those goals.
"Tribal children or youth" means dependent children or youth of a federally recognized tribal government, state-dependent children or youth who are enrolled in a federally recognized tribe, dependent children or youth with concurrent jurisdiction, or unenrolled children or youth with native ancestry.
"Tuberculosis (TB)" means a contagious infection caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria.
"Two-Spirit" means a modern umbrella term used by some Native Americans to describe Native American individuals 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.
"Underwriters laboratories (UL)" means Underwriters Laboratories Standards and Engagement, a company that tests and certifies products and equipment for safety.
"Washington state patrol fire protection bureau (WSP/FPB)" means the Washington state fire marshal.
"Well-being file" means a collection of children's or youth's records related to their care and services while in the licensee's care.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.15.030. WSR 26-08-021, s 110-145-2310, filed 3/23/26, effective 5/1/26.]