This is the final post in a series of foster and foster-adopt acronyms.

If you aren't familiar with these, it'll make your head spin the first time you read a report or sit in a family services plan meeting. (FSP)

Do you need to know all of these? Probably not, but I've come around most of these acronyms in the last five years, and I know some of them intimately!

Soon you'll be speaking in alphabet soup as well!

MAF: Medical Assistance to Families

MAS: Medicaid Authorized Specialist

MCAT: Multi-Disiplinary Child Abuse Team

MDT: Multi-Disciplinary Team

MED: Mentally/Emotionally Disordered

MEPA: Multi-Ethnic Placement Act

MMIS: Medicaid Management Information System

MO: Absent mother


MRT: Medical Review Team

MH: Mental Health

MHD: Mental Health Department

MIP: Minor In Possession

MIRT: Management Intake Review Team

MMIS: Medicaid Management Information System

MSAV: Mothers of Sex Abuse Victims

MSW: Master of Social Work degree


NCCAN: National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect

NICWA: National Indian Child Welfare Act

NOS: Non-Offending Spouse

NRCCM: National Resource Center on Child Maltreatment

OHC: Out of Home Care


OMAP: Office of Medical Assistance Programs

OPC: Out of Parent Control


OT: Occupational therapy

OVRS: Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, previously VRD

P/R: Prevention/Resto


PAA: Private Adoption Agency

PC: Protective Custody/Personal Care/Probable Cause/Politically Correct

PD: Public Defender

PERP: Perpetrator of a crime

PHER: FACIS Code for Permanency Hearing


PIYN: Paroled and Incarcerated Youth Network

PO: A number of different meanings, including purchase order, parole officer, personnel officer, police officer, probation officer, and printing order

PP: Permanent Planning

PPE: Permanent Planning Expense

PRC: Placement Review Committee


PS: Protective Services; also known as CPS (Child Protective Services)


PTCC: Parent Training Core Corriculum

PV: Parole Violator


RCWA: Refugee Child Welfare Act

RJSO: Report on Juvenile Sex Offenders


SC: Different meanings, including shelter care or substitute care

SCF: Services to Children and Families, the former name for the child welfare side of Children, Adults, and Families (CAF)



SNAC: Special Needs Adoption Coalition

SNB: A child welfare term known as Strengths/Needs Based, a specialized type of services given to clients; also sometimes called SNB/SOC.

SO: Sexual Offender

SOC: A child welfare term known as System of Care. This is a strength-needs-based approach to child welfare practice that seeks safety, permanency and attachment for every child involved with the states child protective services programs. Also sometimes called SNB/SOC.

SRA: Systematic Risk Assessment


SSB: Social Security Benefits


SSI: Supplemental Security Income

SSS: Classification level in child welfare known as the Social Service Specialist

Subcare: A foster care term for substitute care

TANF: A self-sufficiency term meaning Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. This is a program which provides cash benefits to one- and two-parent low-income families.

TA-DVS: Temporary Assistance for Domestic Violence Survivors

TC: Temporary Custody

TDM: Team Decision-Making meetings; the new name for the FDMs, or Family Decision-Making meetings

TEP:Teen Emancipation Program



TFC: Treatment Foster Care


TPR: Termination of Parental Rights

UA: Urine Analysis

UTL: Unable To Locate



VCO: Violation of Court Order

VOCA: Victoms of Crime Act

VR/VRD: Vocational Rehabilitation/Vocational Rehabilitation Department

VSP: Volunteer Service Program


WIC: Women, Infants and Children Program for food and formula


YST: Youth Services Team

Past posts