An Oregon terminology guide
Adult Foster Home is the primary statewide term in Oregon. Multnomah County uses Adult Care Home for its local program, while “board and care home” is an alternate phrase some people use when looking for a small home-like care setting.
Why names differ
Oregon generally uses Adult Foster Home terminology. Multnomah County’s locally administered program uses Adult Care Home. The names may describe related small-home care models, but operators should use the term attached to their actual license and licensing authority.
A familiar phrase can carry a specific legal meaning in one jurisdiction and be used only descriptively in another. CareHomeSimple does not determine a home’s classification, and this guide does not extend the product to Oregon’s separately licensed Residential Care Facility category.
Commonly encountered terms
These short explanations provide context without attempting to replace state-specific licensing guidance.
Adult Foster Home is the primary statewide Oregon term for the small-home setting CareHomeSimple is designed to support. Exact licensing, capacity, service, and oversight requirements depend on the applicable Oregon program and licensing authority.
Multnomah County uses Adult Care Home terminology for its local program. CareHomeSimple uses that wording when discussing Multnomah County while retaining Adult Foster Home as the primary statewide Oregon term.
“Board and care home” is a secondary phrase some operators and families use for a smaller residential environment providing housing and personal assistance or supervision. It is useful for recognition and search, but it is not CareHomeSimple’s primary Oregon product label or a substitute for the official license name.
“Residential care home” can be useful as a broad, plain-language description of a home-like setting. In Oregon, Residential Care Facility is also a separately licensed category, so CareHomeSimple does not use the descriptive phrase to imply support for that facility type.
The common operational reality
Adult foster home and adult care home owners and managers often need to keep staff credentials, training, licenses, renewals, Inspection Readiness, Routine tasks, Official Updates, reminders, residents, rooms, maintenance, meals, activities, vacancies, and public information organized.
CareHomeSimple is built around these operational needs. It does not automatically determine a home’s license category, replace licensing guidance, or guarantee compliance.
Important: Terminology and licensing rules vary by state and jurisdiction. This page is a general explanation of commonly used terms and is not a substitute for official licensing guidance. Rely on your state or local licensing authority for exact legal classifications and requirements.
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