As used in sections 5103.03 to 5103.181 of the Revised Code:

(A)

(1) "Association" or "institution" includes all of the following:

(a) Any incorporated or unincorporated organization, society, association, or agency, public or private, that receives or cares for children for two or more consecutive weeks;

(b) Any individual, including the operator of a foster home, who, for hire, gain, or reward, receives or cares for children for two or more consecutive weeks, unless the individual is related to them by blood or marriage;

(c) Any individual not in the regular employ of a court, or of an institution or association certified in accordance with section 5103.03 of the Revised Code, who in any manner becomes a party to the placing of children in foster homes, unless the individual is related to such children by blood or marriage or is the appointed guardian of such children.

(2) "Association" or "institution" does not include any of the following:

(a) Any organization, society, association, school, agency, child guidance center, detention or rehabilitation facility, or children's clinic licensed, regulated, approved, operated under the direction of, or otherwise certified by the department of education, a local board of education, the department of youth services, the department of mental health and addiction services, or the department of developmental disabilities;

(b) Any individual who provides care for only a single-family group, placed there by their parents or other relative having custody;

(c) A private, nonprofit therapeutic wilderness camp;

(d) A qualified organization as defined in section 2151.90 of the Revised Code.

(B) "Family foster home" means a foster home that is not a specialized foster home.

(C) "Foster caregiver" means a person holding a valid foster home certificate issued under section 5103.03 of the Revised Code.

(D) "Foster home" means a private residence in which children are received apart from their parents, guardian, or legal custodian, by an individual reimbursed for providing the children nonsecure care, supervision, or training twenty-four hours a day. "Foster home" does not include care provided for a child in the home of a person other than the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian while the parent, guardian, or legal custodian is temporarily away. Family foster homes and specialized foster homes are types of foster homes.

(E) "Medically fragile foster home" means a foster home that provides specialized medical services designed to meet the needs of children with intensive health care needs who meet all of the following criteria:

(1) Under rules adopted by the medicaid director governing medicaid payments for long-term care services, the children require a skilled level of care.

(2) The children require the services of a doctor of medicine or osteopathic medicine at least once a week due to the instability of their medical conditions.

(3) The children require the services of a registered nurse on a daily basis.

(4) The children are at risk of institutionalization in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, or intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

(F) "Private, nonprofit therapeutic wilderness camp" means a structured, alternative residential setting for children who are experiencing emotional, behavioral, moral, social, or learning difficulties at home or school in which all of the following are the case:

(1) The children spend the majority of their time, including overnight, either outdoors or in a primitive structure.

(2) The children have been placed there by their parents or another relative having custody.

(3) The camp accepts no public funds for use in its operations.

(G) "Recommending agency" means a public children services agency, private child placing agency, or private noncustodial agency that recommends that the department of job and family services take any of the following actions under section 5103.03 of the Revised Code regarding a foster home:

(1) Issue a certificate;

(2) Deny a certificate;

(3) Renew a certificate;

(4) Deny renewal of a certificate;

(5) Revoke a certificate.

(H) "Specialized foster home" means a medically fragile foster home or a treatment foster home.

(I) "Treatment foster home" means a foster home that incorporates special rehabilitative services designed to treat the specific needs of the children received in the foster home and that receives and cares for children who are emotionally or behaviorally disturbed, who are chemically dependent, who have developmental disabilities, or who otherwise have exceptional needs.

Amended by 133rd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 166, §101.01, eff. 10/17/2019.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 158, §1, eff. 10/12/2016.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 64, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2015.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §101.01 (Vetoed Provisions), eff. 9/29/2013.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 10/16/2009.

Amended by 128th General Assemblych.9, SB 79, §1, eff. 10/6/2009.

Effective Date: 01-01-2001; 09-03-2004