Definitions

(1) “Case File” means the file maintained by the Relative Caregiver Program Provider on each participating family in the Relative Caregiver Program. (2) “Department” or “DCS” means the Department of Children’s Services. (3) “Eligible Child” means a child under the age of 18 who meets the eligibility criteria to participate in the Relative Caregiver Program or the Relative Caregiver Program or the Relative Caregiver Stipend Program. (4) “Family Needs Assessment” means the needs assessment tools used to assess family needs during client intake. (5) “Family Needs Scale” means the standardized, Likert scale used for measuring family need during client intake. (6) “Foster Care Board Rate” means the regular board payment rate as determined by DCS for the payment to foster parents providing residential care to a child in state custody. (7) “Relative Caregiver” or “Caregiver” means an individual within a first, second, or third degree of relationship to the parent or the stepparent of the child. This child must be under the relative caregiver’s primary care, control, guidance, and supervision. Relationship is established by blood, marriage, or adoption. (8) “Relative Caregiver Participant,” “RCP Participant,” or “Participant” means the relative caregiver and family participating in the Relative Caregiver Program or the Relative Caregiver Stipend Program. (9) “Relative Caregiver Program” or “RCP” means the program created and operated by DCS pursuant to T.C.A. § 37-1-186, T.C.A. § 37-2-422, and these rules. (10) “Relative Caregiver Program Provider,” “Relative Caregiver Provider,” “RCP Provider,” or “Provider” means a provider that DCS contracts with to operate and implement the Relative Caregiver Program and/or Relative Caregiver Stipend Program. RELATIVE CAREGIVER PROGRAM CHAPTER 0250-07-14 (11) “Relative Caregiver Stipend Program,” “Stipend Program,” “Relative Caregiver Stipend,” or “Stipend” means the program defined by T.C.A. § 37-2-422 and is a subset of the Relative Caregiver Program. (12) “Service Plan” means the plan developed as a result of the family needs assessment which outlines the services that will be made available to the child and the relative caregiver(s).