Definitions – Court Care

CourtCare Glossary

The following is a list of regularly used terminology in the context of the CourtCare research study and child welfare.

Permanent Managing Conservatorship (PMC) – A judge can place a foster child under PMC status if they believe it is no longer safe for the child to return to their original home. Thus, the child may go under the care of the state.
Temporary Managing Conservatorship (TMC)
wellbeing – the state of a person’s overall health, including mental, physical, spiritual, community, and sense of belonging.
disability – a condition of the mind or body that makes it difficult for the individual to participate or perform certain activities.
attorney ad litem – an attorney appointed by the court represent the interests of a child or incapacitated person in a legal proceeding.
caseworker – a service worker who serves as an advocate and resource broker for their client.
legal county – The county in which a foster child’s judge presides over their case; a foster child’s legal county does not have to be same as the county they currently reside in.

Child Welfare /Judicial Terminology

Research Terminology

research
quasi-experimental study
experimental group
comparison group
researcher
informed assent
informed consent

Interested in learning more about CourtCare?

CourtCare is a research study by the University of Texas at Arlington and the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Studies (TACFS) that is seeking to learn more about youth wellbeing outcomes for children under the Permanent Managing Conservatorship (PMC) of the state.