Section 441.200.1. Definitions.

“Adoption” means a legal and social process through which a child becomes a member of a family into which the child was not born. Adoption provides the child the same rights, privileges and duties as a birth child.

“Adoption service” means a service directed towards children who are legally available for adoption, the birth family, prospective adoptive family and adoptive family.

“Adoption work experience” means supervised employment in adoption services, which includes direct provision of adoption services, development of adoption policies, provision of training related to adoption services, oversight and review of adoption documents and activities, and direct supervision of adoption workers. Only the percent of time related to provision of adoption services shall be considered as adoption work experience when job duties involve activities other than adoption services.

“Adoptive family” means an approved person or persons who have a child placed in their home and are being supervised prior to finalizing the adoption; or who have a child in their home who is legally adopted and entitled to the same benefits as a child born into the family.

“Adoptive home study” includes an assessment of the family’s parental attributes and a written report stating approval or nonapproval of the family for adoptive placement of a child or children.

“Certified adoption investigator” means a person as defined at rule 441—107.2(600).

“Child study or social history” includes a written description of the child including strengths and needs; medical, mental, social, educational, placement and court history; a description of the child’s relationships with the birth family, foster family, and significant others; a summary of the child’s understanding and feeling about adoption and recommendations as to the type of family that can best meet the child’s needs.

“Court-ordered studies” means home studies ordered by a judge for the purpose of determining custody of a child or placement of a child for the purpose of adoption.

“Department” means the department of human services.

“Family safety, risk, and permanency service” means a service provided under 441—Chapter 172 that uses strategies and interventions designed to achieve safety and permanency for a child with an open department child welfare case, regardless of the setting in which the child resides.

“Foster family adoption” means the adoption of a child by a licensed foster family who has cared for the child.

“Guardianship record” means a case record regarding a child, established and retained by the department, when the department is named guardian of the child by court order. The purpose of the guardianship record is to collect and maintain information about the child and the birth family, legal documents, and other information that will assist in fulfilling the responsibility of guardian.

“Life book” means a compilation of information about the child, including birth information, photographs of the child; placement history, including dates of placement, names of caretakers, reasons for leaving the placement; relationships; school reports; social, medical, mental health developmental history; awards received, important events, letters from significant persons, and other information that the child wishes to include. The life book will assist the child in dealing with separation and loss issues and provide background and genealogy data.

“Mental health professional” means a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, psychiatric nurse or mental health counselor who holds a current license as required by law.

“Placement services” includes the activities and travel necessary to place the child in the adoptive family.

“Postadoption services” includes those services that an adoptive family may access after the adoption is finalized to assist the family in coping with and resolving problems within the family.

“Postplacement services” includes the supervision, support and intervention necessary prior to finalization to assist in maintaining the adoptive placement.

“Preadoptive family” means an approved adoptive family with a child placed in the home for adoption whose adoption has not been finalized.

“Preparation of child” includes activities necessary to ready the child for placement into an adoptive family.

“Preparation of family” includes the activities necessary to assist the family in adding an adoptive child as a new member of their family.

“Preplacement visits” means contacts, activities, and visits between the child and adoptive family prior to the adoptive placement.

“Procedendo” means an order issued by the supreme court returning jurisdiction to the district court after a final appellate decision regarding an appeal.

“Recruitment and retention contractor” means the entity that contracts with the department statewide to recruit foster and adoptive parents, complete home studies, and perform activities to support and encourage retention of foster and adoptive parents, or any of its subcontractors.

“Relative within the fourth degree of consanguinity” means an adult who is related to a child as follows:

            1.      The child’s parent, brother, or sister (first degree);

            2.      The child’s grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or first cousin (second degree);

            3.      The child’s great grandparent, great aunt, great uncle, great niece, great nephew, first cousin once removed, or second cousin (third degree); or

            4.      The child’s great-great grandparent, great-grand aunt, great-grand uncle, great-grand niece, great-grand nephew, first cousin twice removed, second cousin once removed, or third cousin (fourth degree).

“Release of custody services” includes providing information regarding options to assist the parents in making permanent plans for their child and counseling regarding personal and emotional issues as described in 441—subrule 108.9(2).

“Selection of family” means reviewing approved home studies to match a family’s strengths with a specific child’s needs.

“Special needs child” means a child who meets one or more of the criteria set forth at 441—subrule 201.3(1).

[ARC 8010B, IAB 7/29/09, effective 10/1/09; ARC 1754C, IAB 12/10/14, effective 2/1/15]