Section 214-RICR-40-00-3.5 - DEFINITIONSA. "Adoptive parent" means Adult head of household, also referred to as caregiver, who is licensed to receive children into the home for the purpose of adoption. Pre-adoptive parent is also referred to as adoptive parent. There may be one or two adoptive parents in the household.B. "Applicant" means person applying for a Foster Care and Adoption License.C. "Caregiver" means adult head of household, also referred to as foster parent, pre-adoptive parent or adoptive parent, who is granted a license by the Department to provide foster care or to adopt.D. "Child in care" means child or youth, also referred to as a foster or pre-adoptive child, under the care and supervision of the Department residing in a foster or pre-adoptive home.E. "Child" means any person under the age of eighteen living in the caregiver's home and/or a youth over the age of 18 placed by the Department.F. "Corporal punishment" means physical discipline, including slapping, spanking, paddling, hitting with a belt, having a child march, stand or kneel rigidly in one spot or subjecting a child to any kind of physical discomfort.G. "Department" means the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families, also referred to as DCYF, responsible for child welfare, children's behavioral health and juvenile correctional operations in Rhode Island.H. "Family Service Unit (FSU) social case worker" means DCYF worker, also referred to as primary worker, who provides ongoing social services and case management to children and families who have become involved with the Department due to abuse, neglect, wayward or dependency, as well as children who are in need of behavioral and/or mental health services.I. "Foster care and adoption license" means required legal authorization granted by the Department that permits caregivers to provide foster and/or adoptive care.J. "Foster parent" means adult head of household, also referred to as caregiver, who is granted a license by the Department to provide foster care. There may be one or two foster parents in the household.K. "Generic foster parent" means a licensed foster and/or pre-adoptive care provider, also referred to as caregiver, not previously known or related to the child in care.L. "Health history" means information about an individual's past and present physical and mental health, which can include medical records and/or written documentation about treatment.M. "Home study" means a written evaluation of a home environment to determine whether a proposed placement of a child meets the individual needs of the child, including the child's safety, permanency, health, well-being and mental, emotional, and physical development. Common areas of inquiry include physical and mental health, criminal history, family history, and past and present relationships.N. "Household" means adults and children who reside with the applicant or caregiver.O. "Kinship foster parent" means adult head of household, also referred to as caregiver, who is granted a license by the Department to provide foster care for a related child in care or a child with whom the adult has a kinship bond. The kinship foster parent may be a relative or a member of the child's family support system, such as a godparent, close family friend or member of the child's community. There may be one or two kinship foster parents in the household.P. "Licensing unit" means the division within the Department responsible for issuing Foster and Adoption Licenses.Q. "Reasonable and prudent parenting standard" means the standard characterized by careful and sensible parental decisions that maintain the health, safety, and best interests of a child while at the same time encouraging the emotional and developmental growth of the child, that the caregiver uses when determining whether to allow a child in care to participate in extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, and social activities.R. "Variance" means administrative decision that allows a foster or pre-adoptive home to meet a standard for licensure in a manner other than that specified in the regulations. A variance is granted on a case-by-case basis only when the purpose of the licensing standard is achieved and the safety of the child is maintained.S. "Waiver" means administrative decision that allows case by-case exemptions from compliance with a non-safety related standard.214 R.I. Code R. 214-RICR-40-00-3.5