Interpretation

In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires“Act” means the Social Service Agencies Act; “adult” means a person, who is of or above the age of eighteen years, and “child” shall be construed as anyone below the age of eighteen years; “applicant” means a prospective operator, person or entity who or which has duly submitted an application for the registration of a residential care facility for children pursuant to these Regulations, and the word “application” shall be construed and applied accordingly; Social Service Agencies 61 “assistant” in relation to the operation of a residential care facility for children, means any person who assists the provider of the residential care facility for children in caring for children at the residential care facility for children; “authorized representative” means any person duly authorized by the Ministry to act for the purposes of these Regulations in its behalf; “capacity of residential care facility for children” means the number of children the residential care facility for children is licensed to take care of at any one time; “Department” means the Department of Human Services; “developmentally appropriate practices” means a framework for working with children which applies current knowledge about how children learn and develop based upon age and the individual needs of each child; “emergency admission” means a child admitted to a residential care facility for children by a police officer with the consent of the provider prior to the Ministry’s approval, if a determination has been made by the police officer that the child is suffering or is likely to suffer harm or the child is a danger to others or the child is abandoned and no alternate placement can be found; “foster care” means the placement of a child by order of the court with a person who is not his/her parent and who is willing to undertake the care and maintenance of the child; “licence” means a licence to operate as a residential care facility for children issued to a successful applicant by the Registrar pursuant to section 9 of the Act; “Minister” has the meaning assigned to it in section 2 of the Act, and “Ministry” shall be construed accordingly; 62 Social Service Agencies “operator” in relation to a residential care facility for children, means any person, group of persons, partnership, association, organization, unincorporated entity, corporate entity, institution, or agency, whether public or private, who or which has been issued a licence to operate a residential care facility for children pursuant to the Act and these Regulations; “parent” in relation to a child receiving services from a residential care facility for children, means the biological or adoptive parent or legal guardian of the child, and includes any person or entity for the time being with custody rights over such child; “permanency planning” means a systematic effort, including comprehensive case planning, directed at providing a permanent, stable home for children in the custody of the Department; “provider” in relation to a residential care facility for children means the primary person responsible for the day-to-day operations of the facility; “Registrar” means the Registrar of Social Service Agencies appointed under section 3 of the Act; “residential care facility for children” means the entirety of the premises of a 24 hour facility where residential care services are provided for ten or more full time residents as identified in the “residential care services” means those services provided at a residential care facility for children that contribute to the health, education and welfare of children while under the care and supervision of the operator; “special incident” means any non-routine occurrence that has an impact on the care, supervision or treatment of a child or children. This includes, but is not limited to, suicide attempts, injuries requiring medical treatments, runaways, commission of a crime, Social Service Agencies 63 sexual activity between and among residents and allegations of abuse, neglect or abusive treatments; “staff” means all persons employed by the residential care facility for children; “staff/child ratio” in relation to residential care facilities for children, means the ratio of the maximum number of children under the direct supervision and control of one provider or assistant at any one time; “substitute care” means temporary care given to a child by someone other than biological parents or legal guardians.