Alaska Administrative Code
Title 7 - Health and Social Services
Part 4 - Children's Services and Juvenile Justice
Chapter 67 - Foster Home Licensing Standards
Article 6 - Miscellaneous Provisions
7 AAC 67.990 - Definitions

(1) "abuse or neglect" means the physical injury, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, negligent treatment, or maltreatment of a child where the child's health, welfare, or safety are at risk or harmed;

(2) "alternate caregiver" means an adult selected by a foster parent to provide care and supervision of children in care during temporary absences of the foster parent;

(3) "babysitter" means a person who is at least 14 years of age selected by the foster parent to provide short-term care and supervision for children in care;

(4) "background check" means the screening and review that the department conducts under 7 AAC 10.915 for a barrier crime or condition;

(5) "capacity" means the maximum number of children that a foster home is licensed to care for at a given time;

(6) "case plan" means a description of the services to be provided or performed for a child in care, listing each person who has responsibility to provide or perform the activities for a child or the child's family;

(7) "caseworker" means an individual employed by the department who is assigned to the case of an individual or family to provide child protection services;

(8) "chemical restraint" means use of a medication or drug that is administered to manage a child's behavior that has the temporary effect of restricting the child's freedom of movement, and that is not a standard treatment for the child's medical or psychiatric condition;

(9) "child" means an individual who is

(10) "child in care" means a child under 21 years of age who is in the custody of the state and placed in a foster home or with a relative caregiver;

(11) "child placement agency" has the meaning given in AS 47.32.900;

(12) "clean" has the meaning given in 7 AAC 10.9990;

(13) "department" means the Department of Family and Community Services;

(14) "early periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment (EPSDT)" means the services provided under 7 AAC 110.200 - 7 AAC 110.210;

(15) "easily cleanable" has the meaning given in 7 AAC 10.9990;

(16) "emergency shelter care" means a specialization granted for a foster home license that is short-term in nature, usually not exceeding 30 days;

(17) "family contact plan" means the schedule of family visits, telephone calls, or other means of communication between the child and the biological family;

(18) "firearm" means a weapon, including a pistol, revolver, rifle, or shotgun, whether loaded or unloaded, operable or inoperable, designed for discharging a shot capable of causing death or serious physical injury;

(19) "food" has the meaning given in 7 AAC 10.9990;

(20) "foster home" has the meaning given in AS 47.32.900 and this chapter, and includes all household members;

(21) "foster parent" means an individual who has been issued a current foster home license under AS 47.32 and this chapter;

(22) "infant" means a child under one year of age;

(23) "insect" has the meaning in 7 AAC 10.9990;

(24) "license" means a current foster home license issued under AS 47.32 and this chapter;

(25) "licensee", with respect to the holder of a current foster home license, has the meaning given "licensed entity" in AS 47.32.900;

(26) "licensing specialist" means an employee of the department with duties assigned to carry out the process of licensing a foster home and to enforce compliance with the foster home licensing standards of this chapter;

(27) "mechanical restraint" means a device attached or adjacent to the child's body that the child cannot easily remove and that restricts freedom of movement;

(28) "mental health professional" has the meaning given in AS 47.30.915;

(29) "parent" means a birth or adoptive parent;

(30) "passive physical restraint" means the least amount of direct physical contact by a foster parent or caregiver, using methods approved by the department, to restrain a child from harming self or others;

(31) "pest" has the meaning given in 7 AAC 10.9990;

(32) "physical restraint" means the application of physical force without the use of any device, for the purpose of restricting the free movement of a child's body;

(33) "physician" has the meaning given in 12 AAC 40.990;

(34) "potable water" has the meaning given in 7 AAC 10.9990;

(35) "premises" means a place or location licensed under AS 47.32 and this chapter, including all or portions of adjacent structures, land, vehicles, equipment, water supply, wastewater systems, and plumbing over which the licensee has direct control;

(36) "protective services specialist" means an employee of the department with the child protection duties specifically assigned to the division that oversees children's services within the department;

(37) "psychotropic medication" means a type of medicine that is prescribed to affect or alter thought processes, mood, sleep, or behavior; these include antipsychotic, antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications;

(38) "reasonable and prudent parent standard" means the standard characterized by careful and sensible parental decisions to maintain the health, safety, and best interests of the child while encouraging the emotional and developmental growth of the child;

(39) "regular contact" has the meaning given in 7 AAC 10.990(c);

(40) "relative" means an individual who is related to another by blood, adoption, marriage, or tribal custom, or an adult family member; in this paragraph, "adult family member" has the meaning given in AS 47.10.990;

(41) "sanitize" has the meaning given in 7 AAC 10.9990;

(42) "serious injury" means an injury that could result in death, dismemberment, disfigurement, protracted impairment of health, second- or third-degree bums, lacerations, bone fractures, substantial hematoma including unexplained bruising, bruising in multiple areas of the body, bruises to the face, head, or genitals, or bruises larger than a quarter in size, head injuries, injuries to internal organs, other significant impairments, other injuries and illness requiring outside medical attention, any injury involving a motor vehicle accident, or life-threatening illness or hospitalization;

(43) "supervision of children" means protective oversight of children, including

(44) "supervision plan" means a plan that is developed between the foster parent and the licensing specialist that illustrates how the foster parent will provide supervision to the children in care;

(45) "toddler" means a child at least 12 months of age and under 31 months of age;

(46) "toilet" has the meaning given in 7 AAC 10.9990;

(47) "training plan" means the plan that is developed between the foster parent and the licensing specialist for specified training that assists the foster parent;

(48) "treatment" means a series of planned interventions designed to address a child's physical, mental, emotional, behavioral, and developmental disorders and bring about positive measurable changes needed to facilitate the child's successful functioning and return to the child's family or community;

(49) "universal precautions" has the meaning given in 7 AAC 10,9990.