Wyoming Statutes
Article 2 - Child Protective Services
Section 14-3-202 - Definitions.

14-3-202. Definitions.
(a) As used in W.S. 14-3-201 through 14-3-216:
(i) "A person responsible for a child's welfare" includes the child's parent, noncustodial parent, guardian, custodian, stepparent, foster parent or other person, institution or agency having the physical custody or control of the child;
(ii) "Abuse" means inflicting or causing physical or mental injury, harm or imminent danger to the physical or mental health or welfare of a child other than by accidental means, including abandonment, unless the abandonment is a relinquishment substantially in accordance with W.S. 14-11-101 through 14-11-109, excessive or unreasonable corporal punishment, malnutrition or substantial risk thereof by reason of intentional or unintentional neglect, and the commission or allowing the commission of a sexual offense against a child as defined by law:
(A) "Mental injury" means an injury to the psychological capacity or emotional stability of a child as evidenced by an observable or substantial impairment in his ability to function within a normal range of performance and behavior with due regard to his culture;
(B) "Physical injury" means any harm to a child including but not limited to disfigurement, impairment of any bodily organ, skin bruising if greater in magnitude than minor bruising associated with reasonable corporal punishment, bleeding, burns, fracture of any bone, subdural hematoma or substantial malnutrition;
(C) "Substantial risk" means a strong possibility as contrasted with a remote or insignificant possibility;
(D) "Imminent danger" includes threatened harm and means a statement, overt act, condition or status which represents an immediate and substantial risk of sexual abuse or physical or mental injury. "Imminent danger" includes violation of W.S. 31-5-233(m).
(iii) "Child" means any person under the age of eighteen (18);
(iv) "Child protective agency" means the field or regional offices of the department of family services;
(v) "Court proceedings" means child protective proceedings which have as their purpose the protection of a child through an adjudication of whether the child is abused or neglected, and the making of an appropriate order of disposition;
(vi) "Institutional child abuse and neglect" means situations of child abuse or neglect where a foster home or other public or private residential home, institution or agency is responsible for the child's welfare;
(vii) "Neglect" means a failure or refusal by those responsible for the child's welfare to provide adequate care, maintenance, supervision, education or medical, surgical or any other care necessary for the child's well being. "Neglect" for purposes of "education" as used in this paragraph includes willful absenteeism as defined in W.S. 21-4-101(a)(vii). Treatment given in good faith by spiritual means alone, through prayer, by a duly accredited practitioner in accordance with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious denomination is not child neglect for that reason alone;
(viii) "State agency" means the state department of family services;
(ix) "Subject of the report" means any child reported under W.S. 14-3-201 through 14-3-216 or the child's parent, guardian or other person responsible for the child's welfare;
(x) "Unsubstantiated report" means any report made pursuant to W.S. 14-3-201 through 14-3-216 that, upon investigation, is not supported by a preponderance of the evidence;
(xi) "Substantiated report" means any report of child abuse or neglect made pursuant to W.S. 14-3-201 through 14-3-216 that, upon investigation, is supported by a preponderance of the evidence;
(xii) Repealed by Laws 2002, Ch. 86, § 3.
(xiii) Repealed By Laws 2002, Ch. 86, § 3.
(xiv) Repealed By Laws 2002, Ch. 86, § 3.
(xv) "Collaborative" means the interagency children's collaborative created by W.S. 14-3-215;
(xvi) "Department" means the state department of family services and its local offices;
(xvii) "Transportation" means the provision of a means to convey the child from one place to another by the custodian or someone acting on his behalf in the performance of required duties, but does not require the state to provide incidental travel or to purchase a motor vehicle for the child's own use to travel.