Terms Used In New York Laws > Social Services > Article 6 - Children

• Abandoned child: means a child under the age of eighteen years who is abandoned by both parents, or by the parent having its custody, or by any other person or persons lawfully charged with its care or custody, in accordance with the definition and other criteria set forth in subdivision five of section three hundred eighty-four-b;
  
  3. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• abused child: means a child under eighteen years of age and who is defined as an abused child by the family court act;
  
  2. See N.Y. Social Services Law 412
• Abused child: means a child less than eighteen years of age whose parent or other person legally responsible for his care
  
  (i) inflicts or allows to be inflicted upon such child physical injury by other than accidental means which causes or creates a substantial risk of death, or serious or protracted disfigurement, or protracted impairment of physical or emotional health or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily organ, or
  
  (ii) creates or allows to be created a substantial risk of physical injury to such child by other than accidental means which would be likely to cause death or serious or protracted disfigurement, or protracted impairment of physical or emotional health or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily organ, or
  
  (iii) commits, or allows to be committed, an act of sexual abuse against such child as defined in the penal law. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Acquittal:
  1. Judgement that a criminal defendant has not been proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
  2. A verdict of "not guilty."
   
• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• Adjournment sine die: The end of a legislative session "without day." These adjournments are used to indicate the final adjournment of an annual or the two-year session of legislature.
• Advisory committee: shall mean the committee established by section four hundred forty-three of this title. See N.Y. Social Services Law 441
• advocate: means an employee of the short-term safe house defined in subdivision two of this section that has been trained to work with and advocate for the needs of sexually exploited children. See N.Y. Social Services Law 447-A
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Agency: shall mean a not-for-profit corporation or group of not-for-profit corporations. See N.Y. Social Services Law 410-P
• alcoholism counselor: means any person who has been issued a credential therefor by the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services, pursuant to paragraphs one and two of subdivision (d) of § 19. See N.Y. Social Services Law 412
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Amortization: Paying off a loan by regular installments.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• Applicable board rate: shall mean an amount equal to the monthly payment that has been made by a social services official, in accordance with section three hundred ninety-eight-a of this article and other provisions of this chapter, for the care and maintenance of the child, while such child was boarded out in the approved or certified foster family boarding home with the prospective relative guardian. See N.Y. Social Services Law 458-A
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Attorney-at-law: A person who is legally qualified and licensed to practice law, and to represent and act for clients in legal proceedings.
• Authorized agency: means
  
  (a) Any agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization which is incorporated or organized under the laws of this state with corporate power or empowered by law to care for, to place out or to board out children, which actually has its place of business or plant in this state and which is approved, visited, inspected and supervised by the office of children and family services or which shall submit and consent to the approval, visitation, inspection and supervision of such office as to any and all acts in relation to the welfare of children performed or to be performed under this title; provided, however, that on and after June first, two thousand seven, such term shall not include any for-profit corporation or other for-profit entity or organization for the purposes of the operation, management, supervision or ownership of agency boarding homes, group homes, homes including family boarding homes of family free homes, or institutions which are located within this state;
  
  (b) Any court or any social services official of this state authorized by law to place out or to board out children or any Indian tribe that has entered into an agreement with the department pursuant to section thirty-nine of this chapter;
  
  (c) Any agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization which is not incorporated or organized under the laws of this state, placing out a child for adoption whose admission to the United States as an eligible orphan with non-quota immigrant status pursuant to the federal immigration and nationality act is sought for the purpose of adoption in the State of New York or who has been brought into the United States with such status and for such purpose, provided, however, that such agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization is licensed or otherwise authorized by another state to place out children for adoption, that such agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization is approved by the department to place out such children with non-quota immigrant status for adoption in the State of New York, and provided further, that such agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization complies with the regulations of the department pertaining to such placements. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Board out: means to arrange for the care of a child in a family, other than that of the child's parent, step-parent or legal guardian, to whom payment is made or agreed to be made for care and maintenance. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Board rate: shall mean an amount equal to the monthly payment which has been or would have been made by a social services official, in accordance with section three hundred ninety-eight-a and other provisions of this chapter, for the care and maintenance of the child, if such child had been boarded out in a foster family boarding home. See N.Y. Social Services Law 451
• Case law: The law as laid down in cases that have been decided in the decisions of the courts.
• Chambers: A judge's office.
• Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
• Child: shall mean a person under the age of twenty-one years whose guardianship and custody have been committed to a social services official or a voluntary authorized agency, or whose guardianship and custody have been committed to a certified or approved foster parent pursuant to a court order prior to such person's eighteenth birthday, except as provided in paragraph (g) of subdivision three of section three hundred eighty-four-b of this article and section six hundred thirty-one of the family court act. See N.Y. Social Services Law 451
• Child: shall mean a person under the age of twenty-one years whose custody, care and custody, or custody and guardianship have been committed to a social services official prior to such person's eighteenth birthday pursuant to section three hundred fifty-eight-a, three hundred eighty-three-c, three hundred eighty-four, three hundred eighty-four-a or three hundred eighty-four-b of this chapter or article three, seven, ten or 10-C of the family court act. See N.Y. Social Services Law 458-A
• Child: means a person actually or apparently under the age of eighteen years;
  
  2. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• commit: includes replace and recommit;
  
  14. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• community-based program: means a program operated by a not-for-profit organization that provides services such as street outreach, voluntary drop-in services, peer counseling, individual counseling, family-therapy and referrals for services such as educational and vocational training and health care. See N.Y. Social Services Law 447-A
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
• Court reporter: A person who makes a word-for-word record of what is said in court and produces a transcript of the proceedings upon request.
• Custody: means custody in pursuance of or in compliance with expressed provisions of law;
  
  12. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• day services: shall mean care and treatment for part of the day of one or more children under eighteen years of age and their families in a program which provides to such children and families in accordance with their needs various services such as psychiatric, psychological, social casework, educational, vocational, health, transportation and such other services as may be appropriate. See N.Y. Social Services Law 430
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Dependent child: means a child who is in the custody of, or wholly or partly maintained by an authorized agency or an institution, society or other organization of charitable, eleemosynary, correctional, or reformatory character;
  
  8. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Destitute child: means :
  
  (a) a child under the age of eighteen who is in a state of want or suffering due to lack of sufficient food, clothing, shelter, or medical or surgical care; and:
  
  (i) does not fit within the definition of an "abused child" or a "neglected child" as such terms are defined in section one thousand twelve of the family court act; and
  
  (ii) is without any parent or caretaker as such term is defined in section one thousand ninety-two of the family court act, available to sufficiently care for him or her, due to:
  
  (A) the death of a parent or caretaker; or
  
  (B) the incapacity or debilitation of a parent or caretaker, where such incapacity or debilitation would prevent such parent or caretaker from being able to knowingly and voluntarily enter into a written agreement to transfer the care and custody of said child pursuant to § 358-a of the social services law; or
  
  (C) the inability of the local social services district to locate any parent or caretaker, after making reasonable efforts to do so; or
  
  (D) the parent or caretaker being physically located outside of the state of New York and the local social services district is or has been unable to return said child to such parent or caretaker while or after making reasonable efforts to do so, unless the lack of such efforts is or was appropriate under the circumstances;
  
  (b) a child who is under the age of eighteen years and absent from his or her legal residence without the consent of his or her parent, legal guardian or custodian; or
  
  (c) a child under the age of eighteen who is without a place of shelter where supervision and care are available who is not otherwise covered under paragraph (a) of this subdivision; or
  
  (d) a person who is a former foster care youth under the age of twenty-one who was previously placed in the care and custody or custody and guardianship of the local commissioner of social services or other officer, board or department authorized to receive children as public charges, and who was discharged from foster care due to a failure to consent to continuation in placement, who has returned to foster care pursuant to section one thousand ninety-one of the family court act. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Early childhood services: shall mean services which include, but are not limited to, registered, certified or licensed care in family day care homes, group family day care homes, school-age child care programs; head start programs, day care centers; child care which may be provided without a permit, certificate or registration in accordance with this statute; early childhood education programs approved by the state education department; and care provided in a children's camp as defined in § 1400 of the public health law;
  
  4. See N.Y. Social Services Law 410-P
• Enhanced services: shall mean additional or more intensive levels of services as listed in subdivision two of section four hundred ten-q of this title, which an agency agrees to provide in order to receive additional funding pursuant to this title;
  
  6. See N.Y. Social Services Law 410-P
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• family support services programs: shall mean a program established pursuant to this title to provide community-based supportive services to children and families with the goal of (i) preventing a child from being adjudicated a person in need of supervision and help prevent the out of home placements of such youth or (ii) preventing a petition from being filed under article seven of the family court act, or (iii) reducing future interaction with the juvenile justice or child welfare systems for children under twelve years of age who do not fall under the definition of juvenile delinquent pursuant to subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision one of section 301. See N.Y. Social Services Law 458-M
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. ^{Source: OCC}
• Foster parent: shall mean any person with whom a child, in the care, custody or guardianship of an authorized agency, is placed for temporary or long-term care, and "foster child" shall mean any person, in the care, custody or guardianship of an authorized agency, who is placed for temporary or long-term care. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Group home: shall mean a facility for the care and maintenance of not less than seven, nor more than twelve children, who are at least five years of age, operated by an authorized agency except that such minimum age shall not be applicable to siblings placed in the same facility nor to children whose mother is placed in the same facility. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Habeas corpus: A writ that is usually used to bring a prisoner before the court to determine the legality of his imprisonment. It may also be used to bring a person in custody before the court to give testimony, or to be prosecuted.
• Handicapped child: shall mean a child who possesses a specific physical, mental or emotional condition or disability of such severity or kind which, in accordance with regulations of the department, would constitute a significant obstacle to the child's adoption. See N.Y. Social Services Law 451
• Hard to place child: shall mean a child, other than a handicapped child, (a) who has not been placed for adoption within six months from the date his guardianship and custody were committed to the social services official or a voluntary authorized agency, or (b) who has not been placed for adoption within six months from the date a previous adoption placement terminated and the child was returned to the care of the social services official or a voluntary authorized agency, or (c) who possesses or presents any personal or familial attribute, condition, problem or characteristic which, in accordance with regulations of the department, would be an obstacle to the child's adoption, notwithstanding the child has been in the guardianship and custody of the social services official or a voluntary authorized agency for less than six months. See N.Y. Social Services Law 451
• Home: includes a family boarding home or a family free home. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Impeachment: (1) The process of calling something into question, as in "impeaching the testimony of a witness." (2) The constitutional process whereby the House of Representatives may "impeach" (accuse of misconduct) high officers of the federal government for trial in the Senate.
• Incapacity: shall mean a substantial inability to care for a child as a result of: (a) a physically debilitating illness, disease or injury; or (b) a mental impairment that results in a substantial inability to understand the nature and consequences of decisions concerning the care of a child. See N.Y. Social Services Law 458-A
• indicated report: means a report made pursuant to this title if an investigation: (i) commenced on or before December thirty-first, two thousand twenty-one determines that some credible evidence of the alleged abuse or maltreatment exists; or (ii) commenced on or after January first, two thousand twenty-two determines that a fair preponderance of the evidence of the alleged abuse or maltreatment exists;
  
  8. See N.Y. Social Services Law 412
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Judgement: The official decision of a court finally determining the respective rights and claims of the parties to a suit.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Juror: A person who is on the jury.
• Juvenile delinquent: means a person as defined in section 301. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Kinship caregiver: means a relative or non-relative who is acting as a parent and who:
  
  (a) is related to the child through blood, marriage or adoption;
  
  (b) is related to a half-sibling of the child through blood, marriage or adoption; or
  
  (c) is an adult with a positive prior relationship with the child, a half-sibling of the child or the child's parent, including, but not limited to, a step-parent, godparent, neighbor or family friend. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• maltreated child: includes a child under eighteen years of age:
  
  (a) defined as a neglected child by the family court act, or
  
  (b) who has had serious physical injury inflicted upon him or her by other than accidental means;
  
  3. See N.Y. Social Services Law 412
• Minority leader: See Floor Leaders
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Mortgage loan: A loan made by a lender to a borrower for the financing of real property. ^{Source: OCC}
• Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
• Neglected child: means a child less than eighteen years of age
  
  (i) whose physical, mental or emotional condition has been impaired or is in imminent danger of becoming impaired as a result of the failure of his parent or other person legally responsible for his care to exercise a minimum degree of care
  
  (A) in supplying the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, education, medical or surgical care, though financially able to do so or offered financial or other reasonable means to do so; or
  
  (B) in providing the child with proper supervision or guardianship, by unreasonably inflicting or allowing to be inflicted harm, or a substantial risk thereof, including the infliction of excessive corporal punishment; or by misusing a drug or drugs; or by misusing alcoholic beverages to the extent that he loses self-control of his actions; or by any other acts of a similarly serious nature requiring the aid of the court; provided, however, that where the respondent is voluntarily and regularly participating in a rehabilitative program, evidence that the respondent has repeatedly misused a drug or drugs or alcoholic beverages to the extent that he loses self-control of his actions shall not establish that the child is a neglected child in the absence of evidence establishing that the child's physical, mental or emotional condition has been impaired or is in imminent danger of becoming impaired as set forth in paragraph (i) of this subdivision; or
  
  (ii) who has been abandoned by his parents or other person legally responsible for his care. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Other persons named in the report: shall mean and be limited to the following persons who are named in a report of child abuse or maltreatment other than the subject of the report: the child who is reported to the statewide central register of child abuse and maltreatment; and such child's parent, guardian, or other person legally responsible for the child who has not been named in the report as allegedly responsible for causing injury, abuse or maltreatment to the child or as allegedly allowing such injury, abuse or maltreatment to be inflicted on such child;
  
  6. See N.Y. Social Services Law 412
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Parents: shall mean and include biological and adoptive parents, guardians or other persons in parental relationship to a child. See N.Y. Social Services Law 410-P
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Person in need of supervision: means a person as defined in section seven hundred twelve of the family court act. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Persons: shall include a single person eligible to adopt a child as well as a couple eligible therefor. See N.Y. Social Services Law 451
• Petit jury: A group of citizens who hear the evidence presented by both sides at trial and determine the facts in dispute. Federal criminal juries consist of 12 persons. Federal civil juries consist of six persons.
• Place out: means to arrange for the free care of a child in a family other than that of the child's parent, step-parent, grandparent, brother, sister, uncle, or aunt or legal guardian, for the purpose of adoption or for the purpose of providing care;
  
  13. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• preventive services: shall mean supportive and rehabilitative services provided, in accordance with the provisions of this title and regulations of the department, to children and their families for the purpose of: averting an impairment or disruption of a family which will or could result in the placement of a child in foster care; enabling a child who has been placed in foster care to return to his family at an earlier time than would otherwise be possible; or reducing the likelihood that a child who has been discharged from foster care would return to such care. See N.Y. Social Services Law 409
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Prospective relative guardian: shall mean a person who has been caring for the child as a fully certified or approved foster parent for at least six consecutive months prior to applying for kinship guardianship assistance payments and who:
  
  (a) is related to the child through blood, marriage, or adoption; or
  
  (b) is related to a half-sibling of the child through blood, marriage or adoption and where such person or persons is or are also the prospective or appointed relative guardian or guardians of such half-sibling; or
  
  (c) is an adult with a positive relationship with the child, including, but not limited to, a step-parent, godparent, neighbor or family friend. See N.Y. Social Services Law 458-A
• Prospective successor guardian: shall mean a person or persons whom a prospective relative guardian or a relative guardian seeks to name or names in the original kinship guardianship assistance agreement, or any amendment thereto, as set forth in section four hundred fifty-eight-b of this title, as the person or persons to provide care and guardianship for a child in the event of the death or incapacity of a relative guardian, who has not been approved in accordance with subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (b) of subdivision five of section four hundred fifty-eight-b of this title. See N.Y. Social Services Law 458-A
• Public institution for children: shall mean an institution which is established and maintained by a public welfare district for the purpose of providing care and maintenance therein for children and minors for whose care such district is responsible and who require care away from their own homes. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• publicly-funded emergency shelter for families with children: means any facility with overnight sleeping accommodations and that is used to house recipients of temporary housing assistance and which houses or may house children and families with children. See N.Y. Social Services Law 412
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Recess: A temporary interruption of the legislative business.
• Relative guardian: shall mean a person or persons who was appointed, as a guardian or permanent guardian for a child after entering into an agreement with a social services official for the receipt of payments and services in accordance with this title. See N.Y. Social Services Law 458-A
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
• Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
• Resource and referral program: shall mean an agency funded pursuant to this title to provide services specified in section four hundred ten-r of this title within a defined geographic area;
  
  3. See N.Y. Social Services Law 410-P
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• safe house: means a residential facility operated by an authorized agency as defined in subdivision ten of § 371-a of the executive law or a not-for-profit agency with experience in providing services to sexually exploited youth and approved in accordance with the regulations of the office of children and family services that provides shelter for sexually exploited children. See N.Y. Social Services Law 447-A
• Service: shall mean the child care review service created by this title. See N.Y. Social Services Law 441
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• sexually exploited child: means any person under the age of eighteen who has been subject to sexual exploitation because he or she:
  
  (a) is the victim of the crime of sex trafficking as defined in § 230. See N.Y. Social Services Law 447-A
• short-term safe house: means a residential facility operated by an authorized agency as defined in subdivision ten of § 371-a of the executive law or a not-for-profit agency with experience in providing services to sexually exploited youth and approved in accordance with the regulations of the office of children and family services that provides emergency shelter, services and care to sexually exploited children including food, shelter, clothing, medical care, counseling and appropriate crisis intervention services at the time they are taken into custody by law enforcement and for the duration of any legal proceeding or proceedings in which they are either the complaining witness or the subject child. See N.Y. Social Services Law 447-A
• Social services official: shall mean a county commissioner of social services, a city commissioner of social services, or an Indian tribe with which the department has entered into an agreement to provide adoption services in accordance with subdivision two of section thirty-nine of this chapter. See N.Y. Social Services Law 451
• Social services official: shall mean a county commissioner of social services, a city commissioner of social services, or an Indian tribe with which the office of children and family services has entered into an agreement to provide foster care services in accordance with subdivision two of section thirty-nine of this chapter. See N.Y. Social Services Law 458-A
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subject of the report: means any parent of, guardian of, or other person eighteen years of age or older legally responsible for, as defined in subdivision (g) of section one thousand twelve of the family court act, a child reported to the statewide central register of child abuse and maltreatment who is allegedly responsible for causing injury, abuse or maltreatment to such child or who allegedly allows such injury, abuse or maltreatment to be inflicted on such child; or a director or an operator of, or employee or volunteer in, a home operated or supervised by an authorized agency, the office of children and family services, or in a family day-care home, a day-care center, a group family day care home, a school-age child care program or a day-services program who is allegedly responsible for causing injury, abuse or maltreatment to a child who is reported to the statewide central register of child abuse or maltreatment or who allegedly allows such injury, abuse or maltreatment to be inflicted on such child;
  
  5. See N.Y. Social Services Law 412
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Successor guardian: shall mean a person or persons that is approved by a local social services district to receive payments pursuant to this title in accordance with subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (b) of subdivision five of section four hundred fifty-eight-b of this title and that has been named in the agreement in effect between the relative guardian and social services official for kinship guardianship assistance payments pursuant to this title who shall provide care and guardianship for a child in the event of death or incapacity of the relative guardian, as set forth in section four hundred fifty-eight-b of this title, who has assumed care for and is the guardian or permanent guardian of such child, provided that such person was appointed guardian or permanent guardian of such child by the court following, or due to, the death or incapacity of the relative guardian. See N.Y. Social Services Law 458-A
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Supervised independent living program: shall mean one or more of a type of agency boarding home operated and certified by an authorized agency in accordance with the regulations of the office of children and family services to provide a transitional experience for older youth who, based upon their circumstances, are appropriate for transition to the level of care and supervision provided in the program. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Supervised setting: shall mean a residential placement in the community approved and supervised by an authorized agency or the local social services district in accordance with the regulations of the office of children and family services to provide a transitional experience for older youth in which such youth may live independently. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Therapeutic foster parent: means a foster parent who is certified or licensed pursuant to section three hundred seventy-five or section three hundred seventy-six of this article, or otherwise approved and who has successfully completed a training program developed by professionals experienced in treating children who exhibit high levels of disturbed behavior, emotional disturbance or physical or health needs. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trial jury: A group of citizens who hear the evidence presented by both sides at trial and determine the facts in dispute. Federal criminal juries consist of 12 persons. Federal civil juries consist of six persons.
• Trust account: A general term that covers all types of accounts in a trust department, such as estates, guardianships, and agencies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• unfounded report: means any report made pursuant to this title unless an investigation: (i) commenced on or before December thirty-first, two thousand twenty-one determines that some credible evidence of the alleged abuse or maltreatment exists; or (ii) commenced on or after January first, two thousand twenty-two determines that a fair preponderance of the evidence of the alleged abuse or maltreatment exists;
  
  7. See N.Y. Social Services Law 412
• unlawful practice of the law: as used in this article shall include, but is not limited to,
  
  (a) any act prohibited by penal law sections two hundred seventy, two hundred seventy-a, two hundred seventy-e, two hundred seventy-one, two hundred seventy-five, two hundred seventy-five-a, two hundred seventy-six, two hundred eighty or fourteen hundred fifty-two, or
  
  (b) any other act forbidden by law to be done by any person not regularly licensed and admitted to practice law in this state, or
  
  (c) any act punishable by the supreme court as a criminal contempt of court under section seven hundred fifty-B of this chapter. See N.Y. Judiciary Law 476-A
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
• Voluntary authorized agency: shall mean an authorized agency as defined in paragraphs (a) and (c) of subdivision ten of section three hundred seventy-one of this article. See N.Y. Social Services Law 451
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.