OAR 413-120-0000: Definitions

Unless the context indicates otherwise, the following definitions apply to OAR Chapter 413, Division 120: (1) "Adoption" means a legal or administrative process that establishes a permanent legal parent-child relationship between a child and an adult who is not already the child's legal parent and terminates the legal parent-child relationship between the adopted child and any former parent. (2) "Adoption agency" means an organization licensed by the Department to provide the services under any one of the following subsections: (a) Identifying a child for adoption and arranging an adoption . (b) Securing the necessary consent to relinquishment of parental rights and to adoption . (c) Performing a background study on a child or a home study on a potential adoptive resource and reporting on such a study. (d) Making determinations of the best interests of a child and the appropriateness of adoption placement for a child . (e) Monitoring a case after placement until final adoption . (f) When necessary because of disruption before final adoption , assuming custody and providing child care or other social services for a child pending an alternative placement. (3) "Adoption committee" means a group of individuals convened by Department staff to make recommendations to an Adoption Decision Specialist (ADS) regarding adoptive resources for a child . (4) "Adoption decree" means a decree which a court issues, pursuant to a petition for adoption , setting forth the facts of the case and ordering that from the date of the decree the child , to all legal intents and purpose, is the child of the petitioner. (5) "Adoption home study" means an evaluation of the potential adoptive resource's suitability to adopt and parent a child who may be placed for adoption that is completed prior to the filing of a petition to adopt, in accordance with the Department's reporting format and standards, and states whether or not the potential adoptive resource meets the minimum standards for adoptive homes. (6) "Adoption placement selection" means a decision made by the Department that an individual or individuals have been identified as the adoptive resource for the child . (7) "Adoptive resource" means an individual or individuals selected by the Department, another public child welfare agency, or a licensed adoption agency as the adoptive parent or parents for a child where no administrative review was requested within the timeframe allowed for such a request or, if a review was requested, the selection was sustained by that review and the review is complete. (8) "Adoption transition" means activities related to the placement of a child or sibling group under consideration in the home of the selected adoptive resource . (9) "ADS" means an Adoption Decision Specialist, who is a Department employee appointed by the Child Permanency Program Manager to attend an adoption committee and make an adoption placement selection for a child . (10) "Applicant" means any individual who applies: (a) To become or remain a resource parent; (b) To change certification type; or (c) For approval through the Department as a potential adoptive resource. (11) "Authorized designee" means a Department employee who is designated and authorized by the Department to receive and process criminal records check request forms from subject individuals, receive criminal records information from the Background Check Unit, and make fitness determinations as described in these rules. (12) "Battery" means the use of physical force to injure, damage, or abuse or to cause offensive physical contact. (13) "Birth Relatives" means birth parents, grandparents, siblings and other members of the child's birth family, pursuant to ORS 109.305 . (14) "Central authority" means the entity designated as such by a Convention country that is authorized to discharge the duties imposed on Convention countries. (15) "Central authority functions" means any duty required to be carried out by a central authority or foreign authorized entity under the Convention . (16) "Child" means a person under 18 years of age. (17) "Child care" means the supervision of a child in the care or custody of the Department by a licensed, approved, or listed provider when care is required due to the employment or educational program of the resource parent. (18) "Child-Specific Non-Relative Certificate of Approval" means a document the Department issues to a resource parent to approve the operation of a home to provide care for a specific child in the care or custody of the Department and for whom the Department determines a placement is needed. (19) “Child welfare mediator” means a neutral third party who meets or exceeds Department qualifications to provide mediation services for mediation participants in the cooperative adoption mediation process, and has a legal assistance mediation contract with the Department. (20) "Committee facilitator" means a Department staff member appointed as a member of the committee to facilitate a permanency committee or adoption committee meeting. (21) "Concurrent permanent plan" means the alternate permanency plan whenever the child has been placed in substitute care when the goal of the permanency plan is to return the child to the parents. The "concurrent permanent plan" is developed simultaneously with the plan to return the child to the parents or legal guardians. (22) "Consent to the Adoption": The "Consent to the Adoption" documents that the adoptive resource has been investigated and approved by the Department and gives permission for the adoption . (23) "Contested case hearing" means a hearing conducted under ORS chapter 183 and applicable administrative rules. (24) "Convention" means the Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoptions, concluded at The Hague, the Netherlands, on May 29, 1993, which went into effect in the United States on April 1, 2008. (25) "Convention adoption" means an adoption of a child who is a habitual resident in a Convention country by an individual in another Convention country when the child has been, is being, or will be moved between the two Convention countries for the purpose of adoption . (26) "Convention country" means a country that is a party to the Convention . (27) “Cooperative adoption mediation" or "Mediation" means a process in which a trained neutral third party assists parties in voluntarily reaching mutually acceptable resolution of issues, as well as assisting the parties in establishing relationships built on mutual trust and respect. Throughout these rules, "cooperative adoption mediation" will be referred to as "mediation". (28) "Criminal Offender Information" means records, including fingerprints and photographs, received, compiled and disseminated by the Oregon Department of State Police (OSP) , or by other states, for purposes of identifying criminal offenders and alleged offenders, and maintained as part of an individual’s records of arrests, the nature and disposition of criminal charges, sentencing, confinement, but does not include the retention by OSP or records of transfer of inmates between penal institutions or other correctional facilities, and release. It also includes the OSP Computerized Criminal History System. (29) "Criminal records check" means obtaining and reviewing criminal records as required by these rules and includes any or all of the following: (a) An Oregon criminal records check where criminal offender information is obtained from the Oregon State Police (OSP) using the Law Enforcement Data System (LEDS). The Oregon criminal records check may also include a review of other criminal records information obtained from other sources. (b) A national criminal records check where records are obtained from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) The national criminal records check may also include a review of other criminal records information. (c) A state-specific criminal records check where records are obtained from law enforcement agencies, courts, or other criminal records information sources located in, or regarding, a state or jurisdiction outside Oregon. (30) “Cultural Continuity Agreement” means a written agreement developed between the Indian child’s Tribe and proposed guardians in guardianship proceedings or proposed adoptive placements in adoption proceedings, with the Department’s assistance, that ensures ongoing cultural connections between the Indian child and the Indian child’s Tribe and describes how the Indian child’s cultural needs, including the value to the Indian child of establishing, developing or maintaining a political, cultural, social and spiritual relationship with the Indian child’s Tribe, Tribal community and extended family, will be met on an ongoing basis. (31) "Current caretaker" means a resource parent who: (a) Is currently caring for a child in the care or custody of the Department and has a permanency plan or concurrent permanent plan of adoption ; and (b) Has cared for the child or at least one sibling of the child for at least 12 months or for one-half of the child’s or sibling’s life if the child or sibling is younger than two years of age. Time spent caring for the child or sibling under this definition is calculated cumulatively. ( 32 ) "Department" means the Oregon Department of Human Services, Child Welfare. (33) "Disruption" means an approval by the Child Permanency Program Manager or decision by the designated adoptive resource to end an adoption process after adoption selection, placement, and designation but before the adoption is legally finalized. (34) "Fitness determination" means the decision made by an authorized designee, with regard to information obtained through a criminal records check, to either approve or deny a subject individual under these rules. (35) "Foreign authorized entity" means a foreign central authority or an accredited entity authorized by the foreign country to perform central authority functions in Convention adoption cases. (36) "General applicant" means an individual who: (a) Is neither a relative or current caretaker ; and (b) Has submitted a completed application to be approved as a potential adoptive resource. (37) "Hague adoption certificate" means a certificate issued by the Secretary of State in an outgoing Convention adoption certifying that the child has been adopted in the United States in conformity with the Convention and IAA. (38) "Hague custody declaration" means a declaration issued by the Secretary of State in an outgoing Convention adoption declaring that custody of the child for purposes of adoption has been granted in the United States in conformity with the Convention and IAA. (39) "Home study" means a document containing an analysis of the ability of the applicant or relative applicant to provide safe and appropriate care of a child or young adult. For OAR 413-120-0190 to 413-120-0246 “Home study” means a written evaluation of the potential adoptive resource's suitability to adopt and parent a child who may be placed for adoption. The "home study" is completed prior to the filing of a petition to adopt, in accordance with the Department's reporting format and standards, and states whether or not the potential adoptive resource meets the minimum standards for adoptive homes. (40) "IAA" means the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000, Public Law 106-279, 42 USC 14901 to 14954 . (41) "ICPC" means the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (see ORS 417.200 ). (42) "ICWA" or "the Act" means the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, 25 U.S.C. §§1901-63. (43) "Incoming Convention adoption" means a case in which a child who is a resident of another Convention country has been, is being, or will be moved to the United States for placement and adoption . (44) "Indian child" means any unmarried person who is under age 18 and either: (a) Is a member or citizen of an Indian Tribe; or (b) Is eligible for membership or citizenship in an Indian Tribe and is the biological child of a member or citizen of an Indian Tribe. (45) "Legal Assistance Mediation Program" means, for the purpose of these rules, services contracted through the Department Legal Assistance program to assist the birth relatives and the identified adoptive resource to participate in a cooperative adoption process that may result in a Post Adoption Communication Agreement (PACA). (46) "Legal Assistance Referral" means an attorney-client privileged document used to prepare the termination of parental rights petition and or trial preparation work. (47) "Legal assistance specialist (LAS)" means a central office Department staff who provides a vital link in the execution of the technical and legal processes of the alternative permanent plans for children whose best interests are not served by returning to their families of origin. (48) "Legalization" means the process of giving an adoptive placement legal validity. (49) "Mediation communications" means, as defined in ORS 36.110 (8): (a) All communications that are made, in the course of or in connection with a mediation , to a mediator, a mediation program or a party to, or any other person present at, the mediation proceedings; and (b) All memoranda, work products, documents and other materials, including any draft mediation agreement, that are prepared for or submitted in the course of or in connection with a mediation or by a mediator, a mediation program or a party to, or any other person present at, mediation proceedings. (50) “Mediation participants” means persons who will be working directly with the mediator in the cooperative adoption mediation process and who will be responsible for the creation and implementation of any PACA that results. (51) "Member of the household" means any adult or child living in the home excluding a child in the care or custody of the Department. (52) “Oregon Indian Child Welfare Act (ORICWA)” means the Oregon Indian Child Welfare Act, enacted by chapter 14 Oregon Laws 2020 (first special session), and codified in part at ORS 419B.600 to 419B.654. (53) "OSP" means the Oregon State Police. (54) "Other criminal records information" means information obtained and used in the criminal records check process that is not criminal offender information from OSP. "Other criminal records information" includes but is not limited to police investigations and records, information from local or regional criminal records information systems, justice records, court records, information from the Oregon Judicial Information Network, sexual offender registration records, warrants, Oregon Department of Corrections records, Oregon Department of Transportation's Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Division information, information provided on the background check requests, disclosures by a subject individual , and any other information from any jurisdiction obtained by or provided to the Department for the purpose of conducting a fitness determination . (55) "Outgoing Convention adoption" means a case in which a child in the United States has been, is being, or will be moved to another Convention country for placement and adoption . (56) "Parent” means the genetic or adoptive mother and the legal parent of the child. A legal parent is a person who has adopted the child or whose parentage has been established or declared under ORS 109.065. In cases involving an Indian child, "parent" means a biological parent of an Indian child, an Indian who has lawfully adopted an Indian child, including adoptions made under tribal law or custom, or a father whose parentage has been acknowledged or established under ORS 109.065 (1) to (6) or (9) or 419B.609. Parent also includes an alleged genetic parent who has demonstrated a direct and significant commitment to the child by assuming or attempting to assume responsibilities normally associated with parenthood, unless a court finds that the alleged genetic parent is not the legal or genetic parent of the child. (57) "Parties" means those participants whose signatures are necessary for the PACA to be implemented and are subject to enforcement of ORS 109.305 . (58) "Permanency committee" means a group of individuals who are responsible for making a recommendation regarding a permanency plan or a potential permanency resource when the child or young adult likely is not returning to their parent. (59) "Permanency plan" means a written course of action for achieving safe and lasting family resources for the child . Although the plan may change as more information becomes available, the goal is to develop safe and permanent family resources with the parents, relatives, or other individuals who will assume legal responsibility for the child during the remaining years of dependency and be accessible and supportive to the child in adulthood. (60) "Petition for Adoption" means a petition, filed in circuit court by any person, for leave to adopt another person. (61) "Placement Report" means a comprehensive written report and recommendation to the court prepared after the filing of a petition and after the child is placed for the purpose of adoption . The report is completed in accordance with the Department's prescribed reporting format and includes information about the child's background and placement; medical and genetic history; birth parents' history; status and adjustment of the child in the adoptive home; and status and adjustment of the child's adoptive resource. (62) “Post-adoption communication” means the manner and frequency of contact and communication between the birth relatives and the child and/or the birth relatives and the adoptive resource. (63) "Post Adoption Communication Agreement (PACA)" means a written agreement for post-adoptive communication, signed by parents and adoptive resource and is based on an informed decision-making process by the mediation participants . The content of the agreement is based on the best interest of the child . (64) "Post-placement supervision" means the supervision of a child following placement with an adoptive resource . (65) "Prospective adoptive parents" means the parents, family members, or other people who reside in the residence, or the physical home location of the family, who have been studied and approved by a foreign authorized entity to adopt a child in the legal and physical custody of the Department and with whom the Department has made an official decision to place the child in the family home for the purpose of adoption . (66) " RCWAC" means the Refugee Child Welfare Advisory Committee. (67) "Receiving Convention country" means a Convention country in which a child who is the subject of an outgoing adoption will be placed for the purpose of adoption . (68) "Refugee child" has the meaning given that term under ORS 418.925 . (69) "Relative" means any of the following: (a) An individual with one of the following relationships to the child or young adult through the parent of the child or young adult unless the relationship has been dissolved by adoption of the child, young adult, or parent: (A) Any genetic relative of preceding generations denoted by the prefixes of grand, great, or great-great. (B) An aunt, uncle, nephew, niece, first cousin, and first cousin once removed. (C) A spouse of anyone listed in paragraphs (A) to (C) of this subsection, even if a petition for annulment, dissolution, or separation has been filed or the marriage is terminated by divorce or death. To be considered a "relative" under this paragraph, the child or young adult must have had a relationship with the spouse prior to the most recent episode of Department custody. (b) An individual with one of the following relationships to the child or young adult: (A) A sibling, also to include an individual with a sibling relationship to the child or young adult through an alleged genetic parent. (B) An individual defined as a relative by the law or custom of the Tribe of the child or young adult if the child or young adult is an Indian child under the Indian Child Welfare Act or in the legal custody of a Tribe. (C) An individual defined as a relative of a refugee child or young adult under OAR 413-070-0300 to 413-070-0380. (D) A stepparent or former stepparent if the child or young adult had a relationship with the former stepparent prior to the most recent episode of Department custody; a stepsibling. (E) A registered domestic partner of the parent of the child or young adult or a former registered domestic partner of the parent of the child or young adult if the child or young adult had a relationship with the former domestic partner prior to the most recent episode of Department custody. (F) The adoptive parent or an individual who has been designated as the adoptive resource of a sibling of the child or young adult. (G) An unrelated parent of a half-sibling of the child or young adult when the half-sibling of the child or young adult is living with the unrelated parent. (c) An individual identified by the child or young adult or the family of the child or young adult, or an individual who self-identifies, as being related to the child or young adult through the parent of the child or young adult genetically or by adoption or marriage to a degree other than an individual specified as a "relative" in paragraphs (A) to (C) of subsection (a) of this section unless the relationship has been dissolved by adoption of the child, young adult, or parent. (d) An individual meeting the requirements of at least one of the following: (A) An individual not related to the child, young adult, or parent genetically or by adoption or marriage: (i) Who is identified as a member of the family by the child or young adult or by the family of the child or young adult; and (ii) Who had an emotionally significant relationship with the child or young adult or the family of the child or young adult prior to the most recent episode of Department custody. (B) An individual who has a genetic relationship to the child or young adult as described in paragraphs (A) to (C) of subsection (a) of this section through the genetic parent of the child or young adult, but the prior legal relationship has been dissolved by adoption of the child, young adult, or genetic parent, and who is identified as a member of the family by the child or young adult or who self-identifies as a member of the family. (e) For eligibility for the guardianship assistance program: (A) A stepparent is considered a parent and is not a "relative" for the purpose of eligibility for guardianship assistance unless a petition for annulment, dissolution, or separation has been filed, or the marriage to the parent of the child has been terminated by divorce or death. (B) A resource parent may only be considered a "relative" for the purpose of eligibility for guardianship assistance when: (i) There is a compelling reason why adoption is not an achievable permanency plan; (ii) The resource parent is currently caring for a child, in the care or custody of the Department or a participating Tribe, who has a permanency plan or concurrent permanent plan of guardianship; (iii) The resource parent has cared for the child for at least 12 of the past 24 months; and (iv) The Department or Tribe has approved the resource parent for consideration as a guardian. (70) "Relative Applicant" means any individual who is defined as a "relative" under OAR 413-120-0000 who applies: (a) To become a Relative Resource Parent; or (b) For approval through the Department as a potential adoptive resource. (71) “Relative Certificate of Approval” means a document the Department issues to a relative resource parent to approve the operation of a home to provide care for a relative child and for whom the Department determines a placement is needed. (72) "Relative Resource Parent" means a person defined as a "relative" under OAR 413-070-0000 who operates a home approved by the Department to provide care for a related child in the care or custody of the Department. A “relative resource parent” is a “relative caregiver” as that term is used in ORS chapter 418. (73) "Resource parent" means an individual who operates a home that has been approved by the Department to provide care for an unrelated child in the care or custody of the Department. (74) "Respite care" means an arrangement to relieve a family with an open child welfare case or a resource parent of their responsibilities by a person temporarily assuming responsibility for the care and supervision of a child. (75) "Secretary of State" means the Secretary of the United States Department of State, the central authority for the United States. (76) "Sibling" means one of two or more children or young adults who are related, or would be related but for a termination or other disruption of parental rights, in one of the following ways: (a) Genetically or by adoption through a common parent ; (b) Through the marriage of the legal or genetic parents of the children or young adults; or (c) Through a legal or genetic parent who is the registered domestic partner of the legal or genetic parent of the children or young adults. (77) "Substitute care" means the out-of-home placement of a child who is in the care or custody and care of the Department. (78) "Substitute caregiver" means a relative resource parent , resource parent, or provider who is authorized to provide care to a child who is in the care or custody of the Department. (79) "Subject individual” means an individual on whom the Department may conduct a criminal records check and from whom the Department may require fingerprints and other information for the purpose of conducting a criminal records check. (80) "U.S. State Department" means the United States Department of State. (81) "Violence" means the use of physical force to injure, damage, or abuse. (82) "Weighing test" means the process in which an authorized designee considers available information to make a fitness determination when a subject individual has a criminal conviction. (83) "Young adult" means a person aged 18 through 20 years.