The following definitions are important:

"Alcohol affected infant" means a child age birth through twelve months who was exposed to alcohol in utero and may demonstrate physical, behavioral, or cognitive signs that may be attributed to alcohol exposure.

"Behavior rehabilitation services" (BRS) is a comprehensive program of positive behavioral support and environmental structure in a supervised group or family living setting. Resources are designed to modify a child's behavior or to appropriately care for a child's intensive medical condition. Services are tailored to each client's needs and offered in the least restrictive setting possible.

"Child placing agency" means a private licensed or certified agency that places a child or children for temporary care, continued care, or for adoption.

"Children's administration" (CA) means the cluster of programs within the department of social and health services responsible for the provision of child welfare, child protective, child care licensing, and other services to children and their families.

"Crisis residential center" (CRC) means a secure or semi-secure facility established under chapter 74.13 RCW.

"Department" means the department of social and health services (DSHS).

"Dependency guardian" means the person, nonprofit corporation, or Indian tribe appointed by the court pursuant to RCW 13.34.232 for the limited purpose of assisting the court in the supervision of the dependency.

"Division of children and family services" (DCFS) is the division of children's administration that provides child welfare, child protective, family reconciliation, and support services to children in need of protection and their families.

"Division of licensed resources" (DLR) is the division of children's administration responsible for licensing or certifying child care homes and facilities under the authority of chapter 74.15 RCW.

"Drug affected infant" means a child age birth through twelve months who was exposed to drugs or substances in utero and demonstrates physical, behavioral, or cognitive signs that can be attributed to exposure to drugs or substances.

"Early and periodic screening, diagnosis and treatment" (EPSDT), also known as "healthy kids," is a federal program for preventive health care for children and teens served by medicaid. The physical/well child examination helps find health problems early and enables the child to receive treatment for concerns identified in the examination.

"Foster care" means twenty-four-hour per day temporary substitute care for the child placed away from the child's parents or guardians and for whom the department or a licensed or certified child placing agency has placement and care responsibility. This includes but is not limited to placements in foster family homes, foster homes of relatives, licensed group homes, emergency shelters, staffed residential facilities, and preadoptive homes, regardless of whether the department licenses the home or facility and/or makes payments for care of the child.

"Foster care services" for the department include:

(1) The determination of needs of the child;

(2) The determination of need for foster care;

(3) The placement of the child in the type of foster care setting that best meets the child's needs;

(4) The referral of a child to a private child placement agency or institution to meet the child's specific needs;

(5) Medical services according to the rules of the department's medical program;

(6) Reimbursement for the care of a child in a licensed family foster home;

(7) The purchase of care from a licensed private child placing agency, behavioral rehabilitation services provider, or maternity home;

(8) Supervision of the foster care placement by direct supervision through departmental social work services; or indirect supervision through evaluation of periodic reports from private child placing agencies, rehabilitation services providers, or maternity homes with which the department has contractual arrangements.

"Foster home or foster family home" means person(s) regularly providing care on a twenty-four-hour basis to one or more children in the person's home.

"Group care" means a twenty-four-hour facility licensed or certified under chapter 388-148 WAC for more than six children. The facility provides the basic needs for food, shelter, and supervision. The facility also provides therapeutic services required for the successful reunification of children with the children's family resource or the achievement of an alternate permanent living arrangement.

"Independent living services" means the program services and activities established and implemented by the department to assist youth sixteen years or older in preparing to live on their own after leaving foster care.

"Overpayment" means any money paid by the department for services or goods not rendered, delivered, or authorized or where the department paid too much for services or goods or services rendered, delivered, or authorized.

"Regional support network" is an administrative body which oversees the funding for provision of public mental health services.

"Relative" means a person who is related as defined in RCW 74.15.020 (2)(a).

"Responsible parent" means a birth parent, adoptive parent, or stepparent of a dependent child or a person who has signed an affidavit acknowledging paternity that has been filed with the state office of vital statistics.

"Responsible living skills program" means an agency licensed by the secretary that provides residential and transitional living services to persons ages sixteen to eighteen who are dependent under chapter 13.34 RCW and who have been unable to live in his or her legally authorized residence and, as a result, lives outdoors or in another unsafe location not intended for use as housing.

"Staffed residential home" means a licensed home providing twenty-four-hour care for six or fewer children or expectant mothers. The home may employ staff to care for children or expectant mothers.

"Shelter care" means the legal status of a child at entry in foster care prior to a disposition hearing before the court.

"Vendor" means an individual or corporation that provides goods or services to or for clients of the department and that controls operational decisions.