Definitions to Consider
Juvenile - Any person who has not reached the person's eighteenth birthday and is not married, emancipated or a member of the US armed services.
Caretaker - Any person other than a parent, guardian or custodian who has responsibility for the health and welfare of juveniles in a residential setting. A person responsible for a juvenile's health and welfare means a stepparent, foster parent, an adult member of the juvenile's household, an adult relative entrusted with the juvenile's care or any person such as a house parent or cottage parent who has primary responsibility for supervising a juvenile's health and welfare in a residential child care facility or residential educational facility or any employee or volunteer of a division, institution, or school operated by the Department of Health and Human Services. Caretaker also means any person who has responsibility for the care of juveniles in a child care facility as defined in Article 7 of Chapter 110 of the General Statutes, and includes any person who has approval of the care provider to assume responsibility for juveniles under the care of the care provider.
Safe Home - A home in which the juvenile is not at substantial risk of physical or emotional abuse or neglect
Definitions of Abuse, Neglect and Dependency
(According to NC General Statutes ~ N.C.G.S. – 7B-101)
Abuse
- serious physical injury inflicted or allowed to be inflicted upon a juvenile by other than accidental means
- uses or allows to be used upon a juvenile cruel or grossly inappropriate procedures or cruel or grossly inappropriate devices to modify behavior
- commits, permits or encourages the commission of the violation of laws with or upon a juvenile including sexual assault and exploitation
- creates or allows to be created serious emotional damage to a juvenile
- encourages, directs or approves of delinquent acts involving moral turpitude committed by a juvenile
Neglect - a juvenile
- is not receiving proper care, supervision or discipline from a parent, guardian or custodian
- has been abandoned
- is not provided necessary medical care
- lives in an environment injurious to the juvenile’s welfare
- has been placed for care or adoption in violation of the law
Dependency
A juvenile in need of assistance or placement because he or she has no parent, guardian or custodian responsible for his or her care or supervision, or whose parent, guardian or custodian is unable to provide appropriate care and/or supervision.
Information for Making a Report of Child Abuse and/or Neglect
- Names and ages of family members, school / child care facility they attend and parent’s employment
- Address where the children can be located and directions to the home
- Information regarding the suspected child abuse or neglect, as well as the severity and the frequency at which it occurs
- Information about drug use, weapons in the home, domestic violence and other information that addresses the safety of the child/social worker
- Family strengths and any other agencies that may have been involved with the family
- Any other information that may assist in determining the safety of the child
- The primary language the family speaks
Do not hesitate to report just because you do not have all of this information. Give us the information that you do have.