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

Amendments to the Children and Community Services Act 2004

Reviews

2017 Statutory review of the Children and Community Services Act 2004

2018 Statutory review of the Adoption Act 1994