Glossary of Child Welfare Terms

  • Alternative Response (ARP) – Provides community-based intervention services or coordinates these services. ARP is designed to reduce the risk of child abuse and/or neglect by utilizing case management, counseling, substance use disorder treatment, and parenting education. ARP services are provided under contract with the Department.
  • Appropriate Report – A report where the information alleged regarding abuse and/or neglect rises to the level of child welfare or ARP intervention.
  • Assessment – The process whereby Reports deemed Appropriate are investigated to ascertain if child abuse and/or neglect has occurred, make findings of child abuse and/or neglect, and determine whether further Department intervention is required to ensure child safety.
  • Caregiver – An adult, parent, or guardian in the household who provides care and supervision for the child.
  • Custody Case – Ongoing Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) involvement beyond Assessment which involves the Department obtaining custody of the children. A Custody Case is opened when the family circumstances and/or other information obtained during the Assessment indicates a need for ongoing OCFS involvement in order to ensure child safety and the concerns are serious enough to warrant court involvement.
  • District Office – The local office housing OCFS staff within a given district. A district may have more than one office. Get more information on Districts or office locations.
  • Finding – A decision, reached by OCFS staff based on the facts and evidence gathered during an Assessment, that a person responsible for a child has, by a preponderance of the evidence, abused or neglected a child. Findings include indicated and substantiated findings.
  • Inappropriate – See Not Assigned for Assessment
  • Indicated Emotional Abuse – (Pursuant to OCFS Policy IV.D-1 Child Abuse and Neglect Findings) An OCFS Caseworker reaches a finding of indicated emotional abuse when:
    • The individual has been determined to be a person responsible for the child; and
    • That individual has exposed the child to circumstances, behaviors or conditions that resulted in that child demonstrating a noticeable degree of emotional impairment or distress.
  • Indicated Neglect – (Pursuant to OCFS Policy IV.D-1 Child Abuse and Neglect Findings) An OCFS Caseworker reaches a finding of indicated neglect when:
    • The individual has been determined to be a person responsible for the child; and
    • That individual failed to provide essential food, clothing, shelter, care, supervision, medical and/or mental health treatment when the failure caused and/or was likely to cause a minor injury, minor illness or minor impairment in the near future that did not or would not require treatment; or
    • That individual failed to protect the child from experiencing low to moderate severity physical, sexual, emotional abuse and/or neglect caused by another person that could have been prevented; or
    • That individual has allowed or deprived a child at least 7 years of age and has not completed grade 6 to have the equivalent of 7 full days of unexcused absences or 5 consecutive days of unexcused absences during the school year when not attending school has had documentable minor impact upon the child.
  • Indicated Physical Abuse – (Pursuant to OCFS Policy IV.D-1 Child Abuse and Neglect Findings) An OCFS Caseworker reaches a finding of indicated physical abuse when:
    • The individual has been determined to be a person responsible for the child; and
    • That individual caused or engaged in behavior that was likely to cause a minor physical injury to that child that did not or would not require medical attention.
  • Indication – A decision, reached by OCFS staff based on the facts and evidence gathered during an Assessment, that a person responsible for a child has, by a preponderance of the evidence, subjected the child to low or moderate severity abuse or neglect.
  • Intake – The unit of OCFS that receives reports of child abuse and/or neglect and determines whether reports are appropriate for assessment by OCFS, do not require assessment, or meet the requirements for another type of response (such as Alternative Response).
  • Maine Automated Child Welfare Information System (MACWIS) – The system used by OCFS to maintain electronic records of child protective activities.
  • Mandated Reporter – Individuals who pursuant to statute (22 M.R.S.A. §4011-A) are required to report to the Department when they know or have reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been or is likely to be abused or neglected.
  • Not Assigned for Assessment – A report where the information alleged regarding abuse and/or neglect does not require child welfare or ARP intervention.
  • Person Responsible for a Child – (Pursuant to OCFS policy IV.D-1 Child Abuse and Neglect Findings) Means a person with responsibility for a child’s health or welfare, whether in the child’s home or another home, or a facility which, as part of its function, provides for care of the child. It includes the child’s custodian.
  • Referral – See Report
  • Report – A report of suspected child abuse or neglect made to OCFS’ Intake unit.
  • Safety Plan – A voluntary agreement between the child’s caregiver(s) and the Department. The plan is developed to address concerns regarding child safety and wellbeing that arise during an Assessment or Case. The plan contains steps that the caregiver(s) are agreeing to take to remediate risk and ensure child safety. Generally, if a safety plan cannot be agreed upon, or if the safety plan is violated, the Department will file in court for custody of the child to ensure his or her safety and wellbeing.
  • Service Case - Ongoing Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) involvement beyond Assessment which does not involve the Department obtaining custody of the children. A Service Case is opened when the family circumstances and/or other information obtained during the Assessment indicates a need for ongoing OCFS involvement in order to ensure child safety, but those concerns do not rise to the level of seeking custody of the children. In Service Cases, the Department seeks to ensure that the members of the family receive services to address child safety and wellbeing concerns.
  • Substantiated Emotional Abuse – (Pursuant to OCFS Policy IV.D-1 Child Abuse and Neglect Findings) An OCFS Caseworker reaches a finding of substantiated emotional abuse when:
    • The individual has been determined to be a person responsible for the child; and
    • That individual has acted in such a way as to have caused a child to experience “serious harm” (mental or emotional injury or impairment which now or in the very near future islikely to be evidenced by serious mental, behavioral or personality disorder; severe anxiety, depression or withdrawal; untoward aggressive behavior; seriously delayed development; or other serious dysfunctional behavior); or
      That individual has exposed a child to a pattern of or at least one serious incident of domestic violence. Exposure to very serious physical violence equates to high severity impact. However, in a domestic violence case, this finding can only be reached for the adult victim of the abuser when that person is a party to a child protection petition that has been filed that seeks to ensure child safety.
  • Substantiated Neglect – (Pursuant to OCFS Policy IV.D-1 Child Abuse and Neglect Findings) An OCFS Caseworker reaches a finding of substantiated neglect when:
    • The individual has been determined to be a person responsible for the child; and
    • That individual failed to provide essential food, clothing shelter, care, supervision, medical and/or mental health treatment when that failure caused or was very likely to cause a serious injury, serious illness or serious impairment in the near future that required or would require treatment; or
    • That individual poses a threat of neglect based on the identification of a sign of danger supported by an analysis of available information and/or a lack of parental protective capacity; or
    • That individual has allowed or deprived a child at least 7 years of age and has not completed grade 6 to have the equivalent of 7 full days of unexcused absences or 5 consecutive days of unexcused absences during the school year and that lack of attendance has had a documentable serious impact upon the child; or
    • That individual failed to protect that child from experiencing high severity physical, sexual, emotional abuse and/or neglect caused by another person that could have been prevented.
  • Substantiated Physical Abuse - (Pursuant to OCFS Policy IV.D-1 Child Abuse and Neglect Findings) An OCFS Caseworker reaches a finding of substantiated physical abuse when:
    • The individual has been determined to be a person responsible for the child; and
    • That individual caused a serious physical injury to that child that required medical attention (whether or not medical attention was actually received); or
    • That individual has engaged in confirmed conduct, past or present, that is unlikely to change in a timely manner and that created an immediate risk of serious physical injury to a child, which, if to occur, would require medical attention
  • Substantiated Sexual Abuse – (Pursuant to OCFS Policy IV.D-1 Child Abuse and Neglect Findings) An OCFS Caseworker reaches a finding of substantiated sexual abuse when:
    • The individual has been determined to be a person responsible for the child; and
    • That individual had physical contact with either a child’s breasts, genitals, buttocks, or other body parts in a sexualized manner or for sexual gratification; or
    • That individual had the child touch him/herself or anyone else in a sexualized manner; or
    • That individual is a convicted child sexual offender or previously substantiated sexual abuser of child/ren who has unsupervised access and/or contact with a child in contradiction of law or DHHS child safety plan and so poses a threat of sexual abuse to that child imminently; or

    That individual who is not a convicted sexual offender or substantiated sexual abuser has engaged in confirmed sexual conduct, past or present that is unlikely to change in a timely manner and that has created an imminent threat of sexual abuse to that child; or

    • That individual created or caused to be created, or that permitted or distributed sexualized media content (e.g. photographs, videos, recordings, etc.), involving the child; or
    • That individual intentionally and purposefully subjected that child to suggestive remarks, sexualized behaviors or to a sexualized environment (including prostitution or human trafficking), that caused and/or creates a threat to that child to be sexually abused; or
    • That individual forces or encourages a child to view either adult or child pornography.
  • Substantiation – A decision, reached by OCFS staff based on the facts and evidence gathered during an Assessment, specifically that a person responsible for a child has, by a preponderance of the evidence, subjected the child to high severity abuse or neglect.
  • Sudden Unexplained Infant Death (SUID) – Per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a term used to describe the sudden and unexpected death of a baby less than 1 year old in which the cause was not obvious before investigation. These deaths often happen during sleep or in the baby’s sleep area.
  • Unsubstantiated – A decision, reached by OCFS staff based on the facts and evidence gathered during an Assessment, that there is not enough information to conclude that a person responsible for a child has, by a preponderance of the evidence, abused or neglected a child.