[Supplement]

CHILD, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT

[RSBC 1996] CHAPTER 46

[Updated to January 4, 2000]

1 The Child, Family and Community Service Act is amended by adding the following sections:

Agreements with child's kin and others

8 (1) A director may make a written agreement with a person who

(a) has established a relationship with a child or has a cultural or traditional responsibility toward a child, and

(b) is given care of the child by the child's parent.

(2) The agreement may provide for the director to contribute to the child's support while the child is in the person's care.

1994-27-8; 1995-19-4.

Sections Repealed

9 and 10 [Repealed 1999-26-37.]

2 The following sections are added:

Family conference

20 (1) The purpose of a family conference is to enable and assist the family to develop a plan of care that will

(a) protect the child from harm,

(b) serve the best interests of the child,

(c) take into account the wishes, needs and role of the family, and

(d) take into account the child's culture and community.

(2) If a director concludes after an investigation that a child needs protection, the director may offer to refer the parent or, if the parent is unavailable, another family member to a family conference coordinator.

(3) Subsection (2) applies whether or not the child has been removed.

(4) If the offer is accepted, the family conference coordinator may, after talking to the parent or other family member, convene a family conference.

1994-27-20; 1997-46-28.

Plan of care

21 (1) The plan of care developed by means of a family conference must include the director's consent and may include provision for services to support and assist the family and to make the family safe for the child.

(2) The plan of care may include provision for one or more of the following:

(a) the child to reside in the home of a relative or other person;

(b) a person, including a parent, to reside outside the child's home;

(c) the director to have access to the child.

(3) If the child is 12 years of age or over, the director must before agreeing to the plan of care

(a) explain the plan of care to the child, and

(b) take the child's views into account.

(4) A plan of care may only be made for a specified period of up to 6 months, but may be extended for one or more periods,

(a) with the agreement of the director and the persons who developed the plan of care, and

(b) if the total period, including all extensions, is not more than 18 months.

1994-27-21.

Section Spent

3 [Spent]

Commencement

4 (1) Sections 1 and 2 come into force by regulation of the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

(2) Sections 1 and 2 may be brought into force on different dates in different areas of British Columbia or for different categories of cases.

1994-27-148.

Copyright (c) 2001: Queen’s Printer, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada