See "Neglect."

See "Children’s Services Worker (CSW) Self-Directed Training."

See "Non-Dependency Court Litigation."

See Local Education Agency (LEA) under "Surrogate Parent (Educational Decision Making)."

See "Family Preservation Program."

A County Counsel responsible for the supervision of case-carrying County Counsel and Auxiliary Legal Services (ALS) Attorneys. Lead attorneys’ responsibilities include: supporting and overseeing litigation activities in the courtroom; need for courtroom coverage and providing legal counsel for consultation or litigated matters.

See "Los Angeles Eligibility Automated Determination Evaluation Reporting System."

See "Father."

A person appointed by the Superior Court pursuant to the provisions of the Probate Code or appointed by the Dependency court pursuant to the provisions of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

1. Related Legal Guardian

   An adult who is related to the child by blood, adoption or affinity within the fifth degree of kinship, including stepparents, stepsiblings, and all relatives whose status is preceded by the words, "great," "great-great" or "grand" or the spouse of any of these persons even if the marriage was terminated by death or dissolution. A former stepparent is considered a relative only if the child is federally eligible.

2. Non-related Legal Guardian

The authority and responsibility granted to a person appointed as a legal guardian. Guardianship suspends, but does not terminate, the rights and responsibilities of the birth parents. Guardianship terminates when the child reaches age 18, marries, emancipates or is adopted. A guardian has sole rights to the custody and control of the child, and has the legal right to:

1. make all decisions regarding parental visitation in the absence of a court-ordered visitation schedule;
2. establish the child’s residence anywhere within California without a court order;
3. make decisions regarding the child’s education, sports participation and driver education;
4. consent to the child’s obtaining a driver’s license; and
5. give consent for medical treatment.

In addition, the legal guardian is responsible for:

1. the child’s willful misconduct including, but not limited to, traffic accents, shoplifting and the use of firearms resulting in property damage; and

2. notifying DCFS if (s)he is unable or unwilling to continue to act as the child’s guardian.

The above information, legal authority and responsibilities are limited to legal guardianship in the state of California.

Per Welfare and Institutions Code Section 17.1, the legal residence of a child is as follows:

1. The residence of the parent with whom a child maintains his or her abode; the residence of a court-appointed legal guardian; or, the residence of the individual who has been given the care or custody by the court of competent jurisdiction;
2. In the case of a foundling, the county in which the child is found;
3. In the case of an emancipated child, the county in which the court issuing the emancipation order is located; and
4. If the residence of the child is not determined under 1., 2., or 3., above, his or her residence is the county in which (s)he is living if and when (s)he has had a physical presence in the county for one year.

See "Foster Home License."

Per Section 1596.792 of the Health and Safety Code, a child care license is not required for the following situations:

1. The provider is related by blood or marriage to the child. A child may be "related by marriage" to someone even if there has been an intervening divorce.
2. The provider is caring for children from only two families at the same time, including the provider’s own family.
3. The program is operated by the school district using school personnel.
4. The program is a cooperative arrangement between parents for the care of their children by one or more of the parents, when no payment for the care is involved.
5. The program is a public recreation program in which children drop-in after school and there is no specific parental expectation of care and supervision.

In the context of a licensed foster home, any relative; adopted child(ren); person(s) under the legal guardianship or conservatorship of the licensee; or licensee’s spouse who reside(s) in the licensed home.

Childcare services provided by a facility licensed by Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD). Unless a child care provider meets at least one of the criteria for being license-exempt, all child care facilities must be licensed. See "License-Exempt Child Care."

In the context of certified license pending home purposes, CDSS or a local agency authorized by CDSS to license foster family homes (FFHs). CDSS CCLD is the agency authorized to license FFHs in Los Angeles County. For Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act purposes, the CDSS office responsible for the licensing

and enforcement of the California Community Care Facilities Act, the California Child Day Care Act, or the county licensing agency which has contracted with the state for performance of those duties.

In the context of criminal record information of foster care license applicants, the licensing agency reviews the applicant’s record and determines whether there is substantial and convincing evidence to support a reasonable belief that the applicant is of good character as to justify issuance of the license and grant an exemption to the requirements of Health and Safety code Section 1522.

Any medical intervention, technology, procedure or medication administered to a patient, which has the effect of forestalling the moment of death. It encompasses decisions to commence, withhold or withdraw LSMT. Los Angeles County Superior Court Local Rule 17.4 precludes the formerly used term, "Baby Doe," based on the case Dority V, Superior Court, 1983, when referring to children surviving on artificial life support. The previous policy on life-sustaining medical treatment also addressed brain death. This condition no longer applies.

A medical condition defined by the attending physician for the child. The Children’s Social Worker (CSW) may not make this determination.

See Reimbursement under "Voluntary Family Reunification."

See "Emergency Assistance (EA) Program."

In the context of dependency court proceedings, any matter or hearing in which testimony and other evidence is presented in order to substantiate or refute the allegations and/or recommendations made by DCFS. Litigated matters include: adjudication, contested dispositions, contested judicial reviews, contested permanency planning hearings and any other contested hearings. In addition, any case where a stay has been granted or a rehearing, writ or appeal has been filed, is considered a litigated matter.

A criminal history check based upon the submission of the subjects’ fingerprints to the DOJ. The inquiry will also include an inquiry of the Child Abuse Central Index and may involve an inquiry of the FBI database if there is an indication that the subject may have been arrested outside of California or that the subject has been a resident of California for less than two years. The clearance will confirm the identity of the subject of the inquiry and give the subject’s history of arrests and convictions.

An automated system that links individual computer work stations together through a central computer.

The school district, board, or county office of education which is responsible for the provision of special education and related services to children with exceptional needs (e.g., Los Angeles Unified School District, Long Beach Unified School District, etc.).

A dependency court-ordered permanent plan after adoption and legal guardianship, which places the child in the home of a foster caregiver until the child reaches majority. The rights and responsibilities of the birth parents do not end, but the care, custody and control of the child remain with the dependency court.

The computer system used by DPSS to determine CalWORKs eligibility.

See "Life-Sustaining Medical Treatment (LSMT)."

See "Long-Term Foster Care (LTFC)."