Home > Laws & Policies > Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act as Amended by the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003

Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
as Amended by the
Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003

SECTION I: CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT ACT

Sec. 209. DEFINITIONS. [42 U.S.C. 5116h]

[This section was amended by sec. 129 of P.L. 108-36.]

For purposes of this title:

1. CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.—The term "children with disabilities" has the same meaning given the term "child with a disability" in section 602(3) or "infant or toddler with a disability" in section 632(5) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
2. COMMUNITY REFERRAL SERVICES.—The term "community referral services" means services provided under contract or through interagency agreements to assist families in obtaining needed information, mutual support and community resources, including respite care services, health and mental health services, employability development and job training, and other social services, including early developmental screening of children, through help lines or other methods.
3. COMMUNITY-BASED AND PREVENTION-FOCUSED PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT.—The term "community-based and prevention-focused programs and activities to strengthen and support families to prevent child abuse and neglect" includes organizations such as family resource programs, family support programs, voluntary home visiting programs, respite care programs, parenting education, mutual support programs, and other community programs or networks of such programs that provide activities that are designed to prevent or respond to child abuse and neglect.
4. RESPITE CARE SERVICES.—The term "respite care services" means short term care services provided in the temporary absence of the regular caregiver (parent, other relative, foster parent, adoptive parent, or guardian) to children who—
   1. are in danger of abuse or neglect;
   2. have experienced abuse or neglect; or
   3. have disabilities, chronic, or terminal illnesses.
   Such services shall be provided within or outside the home of the child, be short-term care (ranging from a few hours to a few weeks of time, per year), and be intended to enable the family to stay together and to keep the child living in the home and community of the child

Return to Table of Contents