Abuse- Defined by the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), as, at a minimum, any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker that results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or an act or failure to act that presents an imminent risk of serious harm.
While CAPTA sets Federal minimum standards for States that accept CAPTA funding, each State provides its own definitions of maltreatment within civil and criminal statutes.
1 Georgia law further defines abuse as any non-accidental physical injury or physical injury that is inconsistent with the explanation provided by the child who suffered the injury. (See footnote 14.)
Adoption- This is when children, who will no longer live with their biological parents, become full and permanent legal members of another family.
2
Caseworker/Case Manager Once children enter the child welfare system a caseworker is assigned to monitor their ongoing safety and provide services to promote their well-being and that of their families.
Caseworkers prepare for and attend court hearings, arrange for and facilitate visitation among family members, manage crisis situations, and handle vital administrative duties. These include documenting case histories, managing case records, and entering case data into the state’s child welfare management information system.
3
Centralized Intake Reports or referrals of possible child abuse and neglect are generally received by child protective services intake staff. Often, statewide, toll-free hotlines are used to receive calls. In some cases, reports are received by local police departments. Staff use criteria to decide if the report should be accepted for investigation or assessment; these are often called screened-in reports. Reports that do not meet the criteria may be screened out and referred to other services.
4
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)- The only federal legislation exclusively targeting prevention, assessment, identification, and treatment of child abuse and neglect. It is also the only federal legislation providing for universal primary prevention of child abuse and neglect capacity building.
5
Child Protective Services (CPS)- An array of services and supports that are set up to assess and address the safety of a child. These services and supports are provided when it is determined that the child is at risk or has been abused or neglected.
6
Community Services- The community, in the context of systems of care, refers to the concentric circles that surround the youth and families served, from the extended family and friends, to neighbors and others within the jurisdictions of the agencies providing services and support, including formal and informal service providers and community-based agencies (e.g., faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, neighbors, and other institutions).
7
Concurrent Planning- Identifies alternative forms of permanency by addressing both reunification or legal permanency with a new parent or caregiver if reunification efforts fail.
8
Congregate Care- Congregate care includes residential treatment centers, psychiatric institutions, children’s institutions, group homes and shelters.
9
Differentiated Response- An area of CPS reform that offers greater flexibility in responding to allegations of abuse and neglect. Also referred to as diversion, family services, “dual track” or “multi-track” response, it permits CPS agencies to respond differentially to children’s needs for safety according to the degree of risk present and the family’s needs for services and support.
10
Foster Care- This is a type of out-of-home placement to ensure the safety and well being of the child. It is

an essential child welfare service for children and their parents who must live apart from each other for a temporary period of time. This might be because of abuse or neglect or other special circumstances. This type of placement is a home setting. The foster parents are licensed, trained caregivers. The role of the foster parent is that of caregiver and nurturer.
11
Group Home- Residence intended to meet the needs of children who are unable to live in a family setting and do not need a more intensive residential service. Homes normally house 4 to 12 children in a setting that offers the potential for the full use of community resources, including employment, health care, education, and recreational opportunities. Desired outcomes of group home programs include full incorporation of the child into the community, return of the child to his or her family or other permanent family, and/or acquisition by the child of the skills necessary for independent living.
12
Guardianship- A legal way for an adult other than the parent to assume parental responsibility and authority for a child. This is done without ending the parental rights of the birth parents. Legal guardianship for a child is a relationship between the child and a caretaker that is created by the court. It is intended to be permanent.
Sometimes the child welfare agency provides financial help in caring for the special needs of the child. This is called subsidized guardianship.
13
HB 242 HB 242 ("Juvenile Justice Reform Act") - was a comprehensive revision to the Georgia Juvenile
Code that took effect January 1, 2014. With respect to child welfare, the bill renamed what had previously been known in Georgia as "deprivation" cases, calling them instead "dependency cases" to stress the child's relationship with the court and provide consistency with national standards. The bill makes other changes to create new stylistic and organizational consistency, to establish new procedural protections and efficiencies, to ensure the state is compliant with federal law, to reflect social science developments, and to incorporate best practices from other states and consensus from Georgia stakeholders.
14
Investigation- This is the formal information gathering process used by a child protective service agency to determine whether or not child abuse or neglect has occurred.
15
IV-E The largest federal funding stream for child welfare activities is Title IV-E of the Social
Security Act. It comprises the Foster Care and Adoption Assistance programs, which are open-ended entitlements (the state receives a certain level of reimbursement from the federal government for every eligible claim submitted), and the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program, which is a capped entitlement
(the state is entitled to get reimbursed for every single claim it submits to the federal government, up to a certain level, or cap).
16
Kenny A Consent Decree Under the terms and conditions of the Kenny A. Consent Decree in 2005, the
State is to achieve and sustain 31 outcomes, as well as maintain certain practice standards related to service planning, placement experience, health care, investigation of maltreatment allegations concerning children in foster care, court reviews and reporting. Some of these standards are new requirements for administrators and case managers, and others are existing agency policy and practice requirements receiving heightened attention. In addition, the consent decree stipulates various state and county infrastructure requirements in
Fulton and DeKalb Counties where the suit was brought. These stipulations pertain to automation, caseload sizes, training, supervision of private providers, foster parent licensing, and financing.
17 (Editor’s Note: The
Consent Decree is the result of a federal case brought against the state of Georgia. If Georgia fails to sustain
31 consecutive outcomes for 18 consecutive months, the decree will not be fulfilled. Thus, making Georgia having to start over to successfully fulfill the decree).
Kinship Care- This is a type of out-of-home placement where the full-time care of the child is provided by relatives, godparents, step-parents, or other adults who have a kinship bond with the child. This could include a close friend, a neighbor, or a member of a child’s tribe. This is also called “relative placement.” Children may be placed formally in homes of relatives by the courts. This is also known as kinship foster care. They also may be placed informally on a voluntary basis by the parent or guardian. A subsidy (or financial support) is generally not provided by the child welfare agency unless relatives are licensed foster parents.

Relatives may also apply for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
18
Maltreatment- See child abuse.
19
Neglect- The failure to provide for the child’s basic needs. Neglect can be physical, educational, or emotional. Physical neglect can include not providing adequate food or clothing, appropriate medical care, supervision, or proper weather protection (heat or coats). Educational neglect includes failure to provide appropriate schooling, special educational needs, or allowing excessive truancies. Psychological neglect includes the lack of any emotional support and love, chronic inattention to the child, exposure to spouse abuse, or drug and alcohol abuse.
20 Emotional neglect is pattern of behavior that impairs a child's emotional development or sense of self-worth. This may include constant criticism, threats, or rejection, as well as withholding love, support, or guidance.
21
Normalcy Recognizes the importance of allowing children in foster care the ability to take part in everyday activities, without the unnecessary involvement of case managers, provider agencies or the court system.
Addressed by a Florida law in 2013, the “Reasonable and Prudent Parent” standard was created to allow foster parents to give foster children permission to do daily, age appropriate, activities such as joining a school athletic team, getting a driver’s license or going to the beach with friends.
22
Permanency- This is one of the goals established by federal law for children who are in out-of home placement. When a child has been placed outside of the home, the child welfare agency must establish a permanent home for him. This means a place where the child will have safe and nurturing family relationships expected to last a lifetime. In most cases, the permanency plan for the child is to return to the birth family. This is not always possible, so a judge may decide that the child will live with relatives or with adoptive parents.
23
Privatization Although widely used, the term “privatization” has no single definition in child welfare or in other human services. Some use the term broadly to include all contracted service arrangements, while others use it more narrowly. Generally, privatization is defined as contracting out the case management function and/or decision making authority. It is not the geographic, financial or caseload size of the initiative that defines privatization, but the degree to which these essential functions are managed by the private provider versus the public agency.
24
Residential Treatment This is a type of out-of-home placement for a child. It may also be called residential group care. This is a state-licensed, 24-hour facility. Residential care programs offer intensive treatment services, including mental health services for children with special needs. Many children in residential care have emotional or physical conditions that require intensive, on-site therapy. Residential treatment centers are usually a temporary placement.
25
Reunification The process of reuniting children in foster care with their families and reinstating custody of the children to their parents/guardians. Reunification continues to be the preferred permanency option, when it can be done in a safe and timely manner.
26
Termination of Parental Rights (TPR)- Ends the legal parent-child relationship and frees a child legally for adoption. The termination may be voluntary or involuntary; grounds for involuntary TPR vary by State.
27
Voices for Georgia’s Children would like give a special thanks to Aerial Reese of Agnes Scott College,
Melissa Carter of Barton Child Law and Policy Center, Ron Scroggy of Together Georgia.
1 “Glossary-C.” www.childwelfare.gov.
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2 "Terms You May Want To Know." www.cwla.org
. Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), Web.
<http://www.cwla.org/childwelfare/fgterms.pdf>.

3 “Child Welfare Caseworker Visits with Children and Parents.” www.ncsl.org. National
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<http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/child-welfare-caseworker-visits-with- children367.aspx#Caseworker>
4 “Intake and Screening.” www.childwelfare.gov
. Child Welfare Information Gateway, Web.
<https://www.childwelfare.gov/responding/iia/screening/>
5 “ CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111 ‐ 320)” www.cwla.org.
Child
Welfare League of America (CWLA). Web.
< http://www.cwla.org/advocacy/CAPTAReauthorizationActof2010SummaryDec2011.pdf>
6 CWLA
7 . “Community-based Resources: Keystone to the System of Care.” www.childwelfare.gov.
Child Welfare
Information Gateway. Web. <https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/acloserlook/community/community2.cfm>
8 CWLA
9 National Governor’s Association
10 “Child Protective Services: A Guide to Case Workers.” www.childwelfare.gov.
Child Welfare Information
Gateway. Web. <https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/cps/cps.pdf>
11 CWLA
12 “Glossary-G.” www.childwelfare.gov.
Child Welfare Information
13 CWLA
Gateway. Web. <https://www.childwelfare.gov/admin/glossary/glossaryg.cfm>
14 “2013 Juvenile Justice Reform Legislation House Bill 242.” www.justga.org
. Just Georgia. Web.
15 CWLA
<http://www.justga.org/HB242LongSummary__022213.pdf/view>
16 “Glossary of Terms.” www.childwelfarepolicy.org. State Child Welfare Policy Database. Web.
<http://www.childwelfarepolicy.org/resources?id=0006>
17 “The Kenny A. vs. Sonny Perdue Consent Decree.” dfcs.dhs.georgia.gov. Division of Family and Children
Services. Web. <http://dfcs.dhs.georgia.gov/kenny-vs-sonny-perdue-consent-decree>
18 CWLA
19 CWLA
20 Child Protective Services: A Guide to Case Workers.” www.childwelfare.gov.
Child Welfare Information
Gateway. Web. <https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/cps/cps.pdf>
21 “Glossary-E.” www.childwelfare.gov.
Child Welfare Information Gateway. Web.
<https://www.childwelfare.gov/admin/glossary/glossarye.cfm#emotional_neglect>
22 “Let Kids Be Kids Law”. www.centerforchildwelfare.com. Florida’s Center for Child Welfare. Web.
<http://centerforchildwelfare2.fmhi.usf.edu/kb/normalcy/LetKidsBeKidsLaw.pdf>
23 CWLA
24 “An Analysis of the Kansas and Florida Privatization Initiatives.” www.casey.org
. Casey Family Programs. Web.
<http://www.michfed.org/sites/default/files/An%20Analysis%20of%20the%20Kansas%20and%20Florida
25 CWLA
%20Privatization%20Initiatives.pdf>
26 “Glossary-F.” www.childwelfare.gov.
Child Welfare Information
Gateway. Web. <https://www.childwelfare.gov/admin/glossary/glossaryf.cfm#family_reunification>
27 “Involuntary Termination of Parental Rights.” www.childwelfare.gov
. Child Welfare Information Gateway,
Web. <https://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/preplacement/tpr.cfm>