A. "Adult." Any person 18 years of age or older.
B. "Authorized representative." A designated employee of the Department.
C. "Casework supervisor." A person who holds a Bachelor's degree from a university or college and has at least three years of casework experience in a certified or licensed family/child welfare agency.
D. "Caseworker." A person who holds a Bachelor's degree from a university or college and who has training and/or experience in the field of behavioral science.
E. "Child." Any person under 18 years of age.
F. "Child placing agency." A child welfare agency which is authorized in its license to place children.
G. "Department." The Arizona State Department of Economic Security.
H. "Division." The Arizona State Department of Economic Security.
I. "Executive Director." The person responsible for overall administration of the child placing agency; also referred to as Administrator, or Director.
J. "Foster care." A social service which, for a planned period, provides substitute care for a child when its own family cannot care for it for a temporary or extended period of time. Foster care may be in a private family home or a group home.
K. "Foster child." A child placed in a foster home or child welfare agency.
L. "Foster home." A home maintained by an individual or individuals having the care or control of children, other than those related to each other by blood or marriage, or related to such individuals, or who are legal wards of such individuals (A.R.S. § 8-501(4) ).
M. "License." The legal authorization to operate a child placing agency issued by the Arizona Department of Economic Security.
N. "Licensed medical practitioner." Any physician or surgeon licensed under the laws of this State to practice medicine pursuant to Title 32, Chapter 13 and 17 (A.R.S. § 36-501(4) ).
O. "Licensing." Includes the agency process respecting the grant, denial, renewal, revocation, suspension, annulment, withdrawal or amendment of a license.
P. "Parent or parents." The natural or adoptive parent or parents of the child.
Q. "Provisional license." A temporary license to operate a Child Placing Agency, issued by the Arizona Department of Economic Security for a period not to exceed six months; a provisional license is issued to an agency that is temporarily unable to conform to all licensing standards and where the deficiencies are minor, correctable and not potentially injurious to the safety or welfare of a child and the agency agrees to correct the deficiency or deficiencies, and where there is a demonstrated need for the services. A provisional license is not renewable.
R. "Receiving foster home." A licensed foster home suitable for immediate placement of children when taken into custody or pending medical examination and court disposition which is designated as a receiving foster home and it is licensed.
S. "Regular foster home." A licensed foster home suitable for placement of not more than five minor children.
T. "Regular license." A license to operate a Child Placing Agency, issued by the Arizona Department of Economic Security; a regular license which may be issued following a provisional license is valid for one year from the date of issuance and must be renewed annually.
U. "Social worker." A person who holds a Master of Social Work degree from an accredited school of social work.
V. "Special foster home." A licensed foster home capable of handling not more than five minor children who require special care for physical, mental or emotional reasons or have been adjudicated a delinquent (A.R.S. § 8-501(10)).
Ariz. Admin. Code § R6-5-6903