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Glossary - H
Many child welfare terms are subject to interpretation. The Glossary identifies commonly held definitions for terms that can be found on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website. It defines common acronyms and includes links to information on major Federal legislation and related child welfare terms. The Glossary will be updated as new terminology emerges in the field, as new legislation is enacted, and as child welfare terms take on new meaning.
For additional information on glossary terms, please see our index Search A-Z.
Hague Adoption Certificate
The certificate issued by the U.S. Secretary of State to a family when a child emigrates from the United States (outgoing adoption case) to another Hague Convention country. The Hague Custody Declaration and a Hague Adoption Certificate officially states that the child has been adopted in the United States, in accordance with the Hague Adoption Convention and the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000.
Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption
The Hague Adoption Convention was signed at The Hague, Netherlands on May 29, 1993. It is the treaty that governs adoptions among the United States and nearly 75 other countries.
Hague Custody Declaration
When a child emigrates from the United States (outgoing adoption case) to another Convention country, the U.S. Secretary of State issues a Hague Adoption Certificate and a Hague Custody Declaration. A Hague Custody Declaration asserts that custody of a child for purposes of adoption has been granted in the United States in accordance with the Convention and the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
The virus that causes AIDS. HIV is different from most other viruses because it attacks the immune system. The immune system gives our bodies the ability to fight infections. HIV finds and destroys a type of white blood cell (T cells or CD4 cells) that the immune system must have to fight disease. Not all people infected with HIV have AIDS, but all people with AIDS are infected with HIV.
home-based services
Services provided primarily to families in their homes. In child welfare, this may include home visiting, parent aides, respite care, and homemaker services.
home study
Process of mutually assessing and preparing prospective foster, adoptive, or kinship families to determine their suitability to foster or adopt and determine the type of child whose needs would best be met by them. A home study may include a range of evaluative activities, visits to the family's residence, and educational activities.
home visiting
Method of delivering preventive and family support services directly to the family in the home. Home visiting programs support positive parent-child relationships, promote optimal child health and development and academic success, enhance parental self-sufficiency and parenting skills, connect the family with community resources, and prevent child abuse and neglect. They focus on the importance of children's early years and on the role parents play in child development.