15-1181. Definitions

In this article, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. "Child" means a person who is at least three years of age by September 1 of the current year but who is under twenty-two years of age.

2. "Foster parent" means a person who may serve as the parent of a child with disabilities if that person has an ongoing, long-term parental relationship with the child, is willing to make educational decisions for the child and has no personal interest that would conflict with the interests of the child.

3. "Fund" means the special education fund.

4. "Home school district" has the same meaning prescribed in section 15-761.

5. "Individualized education program" has the same meaning prescribed in section 15-761.

6. "Parent" means the natural or adoptive parent of a child, the legal guardian of a child, a relative with whom a child resides and who is acting as the parent of that child or a surrogate parent who has been appointed for a child pursuant to section 15-763.01. Parent does not mean this state if the child is a ward of the state.

7. "Place" or "placement" means placement of a child in a private residential facility for residential special education placement as defined in section 15-761 or by a state placing agency for care, safety or treatment reasons.

8. "Private residential facility" means a private facility that is licensed by the department of economic security or department of health services and to which one of the following also applies:

(a) For special education placements, the facility has been approved by the division of special education pursuant to section 15-765 for the purpose of providing special education and related services.

(b) For other than special education placements, the facility has been accredited by the north central association of colleges and secondary schools, except that private facilities applying for initial approval as a private school are not required to receive accreditation until three years after the date of initial approval as long as continual progress toward accreditation is maintained.

9. "Related services" means related services as defined in section 15-761.

10. "Residential special education placement" has the same meaning prescribed in section 15-761.

11. "Special education" has the same meaning prescribed in section 15-761.

12. "State placing agency" means the department of juvenile corrections, the department of economic security, the department of child safety, the Arizona health care cost containment system or the administrative office of the court.