LEGISLATION
The Department administers the following Acts and Regulations on behalf of the Minister:
The Children and Community Services Act 2004, which came into operation on 1 March 2006, is the main legislation that governs the Department’s three service areas:
- Supporting children and young people in the Chief Executive Officer’s care.
- Protecting children and young people from abuse.
- Supporting individuals and families at risk or in crisis.
The objects of the Act are:
- to promote the wellbeing of children, individuals, families and communities;
- to acknowledge the primary role of parents, families and communities in safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of children;
- to encourage and support parents, families and communities in carrying out that role;
- to support and reinforce the role and responsibility of parents in exercising appropriate control over the behaviour of their children;
- to provide for the protection and care of children in circumstances where their parents have not given, or are unlikely or unable to give, that protection and care; and
- to protect children from exploitation in employment.
There are also general regulations which support the operations of the Act. The following matters are included in regulations:
- approval of departmental foster carers;
- information that needs to be maintained as records;
- reports to the Children’s Court and pre-hearing conferences;
- payments to carers of children under a protection order (special gaurdianship); and
- issues related to the transitional arrangements.
Amendments
Reviews