§7 Glossary

Children’s Division Glossary "R"

Section 7 is the glossary and reference chapters. The terms in this glossary are legal, medical, psychological, and practice terms commonly used by Children’s Division (CD). However, some of the definitions may not reflect the meaning that the general public uses.

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RADIOLUCENT:: Permitting the passage of x-rays without leaving a shadow on the film. Soft tissues are radiolucent; bones are not.
RAREFACTION:: Loss of density. On an x-ray photograph, an area of bone which appears lighter than normal is in a state of rarefaction, indicating a loss of calcium.
REASONABLE EFFORTS:: The ordinary diligence and care by the Division to identify child protection problems and provide services to solve those problems so as to prevent out-of-home placements and/or promote family reunification.
REASONABLE EFFORT TO LOCATE BIOLOGICAL PARENTS:: Applying to adoption cases, attempting to locate biological parents for release of information in adoption records: Use of resources listed in Section 4, Attachment A, to the extent that the worker believes that the biological parent(s) cannot be located.
REASONABLE MEDICAL JUDGMENT:: A medical judgment that would be made by a reasonably prudent physician, knowledgeable about the case and the treatment possibilities with respect to the medical conditions involved.
RECEIVING STATE/AGENCY (ICPC):: The state or agency to which a child is sent or brought by the sending state/agency. It does not matter if the child is sent by public authorities, private persons or public or private agencies. Placement can be with state or local public authorities or with private agencies or persons.
RECKLESSLY:: A person "acts recklessly" or is reckless when he consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that circumstances exist or that a result will follow, and such disregard constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care which a reasonable person would exercise in the situation.
RECORD - CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT (CA/N):: 1. At the Central Registry level the "record" available to the "subject" is the information contained on the CA/N-l; 2. At the local office level the "record" is all information contained in the case folder about a family.
RELATIVE HOME:: A person related to another by blood or affinity within the third degree (grandparent, brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, stepparent, stepbrother, stepsister, uncle, aunt, or first cousin.) RSMo 210.565.2. This designation applies to homes who apply to care for children for whom the agency has legal custody.
RELEVANT:: Evidence that is logically connected to, and helps to prove, a material point or issue in a case.
RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION:: Any child who does not receive specified medical treatment by reason of the legitimate practice of the religious belief of the child’s parent, guardian, or others legally responsible for the child, for that reason only, shall not be found to be an abused or neglected child. The Division will accept reports concerning such a child and will investigate as a result of the report. Such an exception shall not limit the administrative or judicial authority of the state to ensure that medical services are provided to the child when the child’s health requires it.
REMAND:: Lit., "to send back," frequently used to describe the order transferring a minor to adult court’s order sending a minor to the juvenile court.
REPORT:: Report is defined in statute as the communication of an allegation of CA/N to the Division.
REPORTING STATUTES:: State laws requiring certain designated persons (physicians, nurses, teachers and like) to report to proper authorities suspected cases of child abuse and injuries inflicted by unlawful means.
RESIDENCE:: A place at which a home or regular place of abode is maintained. A juvenile’s residence is that of the parent, guardian or legal custodian.
RESPONSE CHANGE:: When a conclusion cannot be determined within 30 days of the date of the report, due to a required response change as a result of additional information received.
RESOURCE PROVIDER:: An adult individual who has been approved by the Children’s Division to provide care for youth who have been placed in legal custody the Children’s Division. This includes Foster, Adoptive, Relative or Kinship (licensed or unlicensed), Respite, and Transitional Living Advocates.
RETINAL HEMORRHAGE:: Bleeding that can be seen on the retina, the inner lining of the posterior part of the eye. It can only be seen by looking in the eye carefully with an ophthalmoscope.
RICKETS:: Condition caused by a deficiency of Vitamin D, which disturbs the normal development of bones.
RISK:: Risk is the likelihood or probability that child maltreatment will occur or reoccur in the future.
RISK ASSESSMENT:: A tool designed to measure the likelihood or probability that child maltreatment will occur or reoccur in the future. The structured decision making (SDM) risk assessment tool is composed of a list of factors or conditions within the family that has been shown through research to have a high correlation with the future occurrence or reoccurrence of child maltreatment. Families with the lowest probability are considered low risk and families with the highest probability are considered very high risk. Risk level drives workers decisions about opening or closing a case; how quickly to respond to a newly open case and how frequently visits should occur with the family.
RUNAWAY:: A child under the jurisdictional age limit established by the state, who has run away from his home without consent of the parent, guardian, or legal custodian.