Family & Caregiving Basics

• Kinship care / Kin care
  When children live with relatives or trusted family friends instead of parents (often preferred in child-welfare practice). Child Welfare Information Gateway
• GrandRaiser
  A grandparent raising a grandchild full-time.
• Primary caregiver
  The adult responsible for day-to-day care and decisions.
• Guardianship
  Court-recognized authority to make decisions for a child, typically without terminating parental rights; wording and process vary by country and province/state.
• Custody / Parenting time (CAN-BC wording)
  Under BC’s Family Law Act, “guardians” have parental responsibilities and parenting time; day-to-day decisions follow parenting time. familylawinbc.ca+1
• Temporary care agreement / out-of-care agreement (CAN-BC)
  Parent authorizes a relative/friend to care for the child short-term; may include financial support via the Extended Family Program (EFP). Province of British Columbia+1

Child-Welfare & Legal (by country)

United Kingdom (England focus; terms similar across UK nations)

• Looked-after child (LAC)
  A child in the care of a local authority for more than 24 hours. NSPCC Learning+2NHS Cheshire and Merseyside+2
• Special Guardianship Order (SGO)
  Family court order giving a “special guardian” parental responsibility until age 18; adoption not required. GOV.UK+2Legislation.gov.uk+2
• Child Arrangements Order (CAO)
  Court order setting where a child lives and with whom they spend time; replaced old “residence/contact” orders. GOV.UK+2Kinship+2
• Section 20 accommodation
  Voluntary local-authority accommodation under the Children Act 1989 (parental consent; no set time limit in statute). Legislation.gov.uk+1
• CAFCASS / Children’s Guardian
  Independent service advising courts on the child’s best interests; “Children’s Guardians” are qualified social workers appointed by the court. Cafcass+2childlawadvice.org.uk+2
• LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer)
  Manages allegations against people who work with children; a single point to coordinate safeguarding responses. towerhamlets.gov.uk+1
• DBS check (Disclosure and Barring Service)
  Criminal-record check (basic/standard/enhanced) used in child-related work. GOV.UK+1

United States

• CPS / DCF / DCFS
  State child-protection agency (name varies by state).
• CASA / GAL
  Court-Appointed Special Advocate (volunteer) or Guardian ad Litem (volunteer or attorney) appointed to advocate for a child’s best interests in abuse/neglect cases. nationalcasagal.org+2voicesforcasachildren.org+2
• Title IV-E
  Federal funding stream supporting foster care, adoption, and the Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP) for relatives who take legal guardianship. Administration for Children and Families+1
• Kinship Navigator
  Federally supported programs that help kin caregivers find services and supports. Administration for Children and Families
• ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act)
  Federal law prioritizing placement of Indigenous children with family/tribe (state pages often detail GAL roles in ICWA cases). mn.gov // Minnesota’s State Portal

Canada

• MCFD (BC) / CAS (Ontario)
  Provincial child-welfare authorities or societies; Ontario CASs approve kinship service and funding per provincial policy. Province of British Columbia+2oacas.org+2
• Extended Family Program (BC)
  Financial/practical support when parents voluntarily place children with relatives/friends (out-of-care). Province of British Columbia
• Canada Child Benefit (CCB)
  Tax-free monthly payment to help with the cost of raising children under 18. Government of Canada+1
• Jordan’s Principle
  Legal requirement ensuring First Nations children can access needed services without delay; government of first contact pays. Indigenous Services Canada+1

Australia

• Carer Payment / Carer Allowance
  Income support and a supplementary allowance for people providing daily care; administered by Services Australia (Centrelink). Services Australia+1
• Working With Children Check (WWCC)
  Mandatory screening for child-related work; reforms aim to harmonize checks across states/territories. Victorian Government+1
• Permanent Care (Victoria)
  Long-term legal arrangement when children cannot safely return to parents; can follow kinship or foster placements. DFFH Services+1
• NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme)
  Funds “reasonable and necessary” supports for eligible people with disability; also connects families to local services. NDIS+1

New Zealand / Aotearoa

• Oranga Tamariki — Ministry for Children
  Government agency for children whose wellbeing is at risk. Oranga Tamariki — Ministry for Children+1
• Family Group Conference (FGC)
  Whānau-led decision-making process to plan for a child’s safety and care. Practice Centre+1
• Unsupported Child’s Benefit (UCB) / Orphan’s Benefit
  Weekly payments to carers of children whose parents can’t care for them, or have died/can’t be found. workandincome.govt.nz+1

School & Learning Supports

UK

• EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan)
  Legal plan for children/young people up to 25 who need more support than SEN support; defines needs and provision. GOV.UK+1
• Pupil Premium / Pupil Premium Plus (PP/PP+)
  Extra funding to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, including looked-after and previously-looked-after children. GOV.UK+2blog.schoolsandacademiesshow.co.uk+2
• Virtual School Head (VSH) / Designated Teacher
  Roles focused on education of looked-after and previously-looked-after pupils; remit now includes children with social workers and kinship care. GOV.UK+2GOV.UK+2
• CAMHS
  NHS child and adolescent mental-health services; often accessed via GP or school. nhs.uk+1

US

• IEP (Individualized Education Program)
  Legal plan under IDEA for students receiving special education; details goals, services, and time. Legal Information Institute+1
• 504 Plan
  Accommodations under Section 504 to ensure equal access for students with disabilities who may not need special education. U.S. Department of Education+1
• FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education)
  IDEA/Section 504 right to appropriate education at no cost. CEC+1
• Medicaid/CHIP; WIC; SNAP; TANF (Kinship)
  Health and nutrition programs; many kinship families use these alongside state kinship supports. (Program definitions vary by state; families usually start with the state human-services portal.)

Canada

• IEP / IPP
  School-level plan for students needing adaptive instruction and supports (terminology varies by province).
• Educational assistant (EA)
  Paraprofessional supporting students with learning/behaviour/medical needs.
• Public health nurse / mental-health team
  Community-based supports accessed via school districts or health authorities.

Australia

• Individual Education Plan (IEP)/Personalised Learning Plan (PLP)
  School plan for learning adjustments; names vary by state/territory.
• Reasonable adjustments
  Disability Standards for Education obligations to support access to learning.
• School counsellor / wellbeing team
  In-school support; referral routes vary by state.

New Zealand

• IEP (Individual Education Plan)
  Tailored support plan developed with whānau; used when additional strategies are needed. Education.govt.nz+1
• ORS (Ongoing Resourcing Scheme)
  Extra specialist support and funding for students with the highest ongoing needs. Education.govt.nz+1
• RTLB (Resource Teachers: Learning & Behaviour) and LSC (Learning Support Coordinator)
  Specialists who work with schools and families to coordinate supports and improve learning/behaviour outcomes. rtlb.tki.org.nz+2Education.govt.nz+2

Money & Practical Supports

• Guardianship/kinship stipends or subsidies
  Payments vary widely: US GAP/Title IV-E subsidies, Canadian provincial kinship or temporary-care funding (e.g., Ontario Permanency Funding; BC EFP), Australia Carer Payment/Allowance, NZ UCB/Orphan’s Benefit. workandincome.govt.nz+4Administration for Children and Families+4Ontario+4
• Legal aid
  Free/low-cost legal services for people who qualify (provincial/state rules differ).
• Consent to treatment / school consent
  Local forms that authorize non-parents to make decisions; name/process vary.
• Working With Children / DBS checks
  Background checks for people in child-related roles (Australia/UK). Victorian Government+1

Emotional Health & Family Dynamics

• Trauma-informed care
  Approaches that recognize how trauma affects behaviour, learning, and relationships.
• Attachment/bonding
  The child–caregiver relationship that supports safety and trust.
• Secondary trauma / compassion fatigue
  Strain experienced by caregivers supporting kids who’ve experienced trauma.
• Reunification / permanency planning
  The system’s plan for long-term stability, which may be reunification, guardianship, or adoption (jurisdiction-specific).