Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015

Amendment of section 45 of Principal Act

5. The Principal Act is amended by the substitution of the following section for section 45:

“Aftercare plan

45. (1) Subject to section 45A and subsection (3), the Child and Family Agency shall, in accordance with sections 45B or 45C, prepare an aftercare plan for an eligible child or an eligible adult, as the case may be, setting out the assistance that may be provided by the Agency to the eligible child on or after he or she attains the age of 18 years or to the eligible adult.

(2) The Child and Family Agency shall, in accordance with section 45D, update an aftercare plan referred to in subsection (1).

(3) The assistance that may be provided by the Child and Family Agency to an eligible child or an eligible adult, as the case may be, in accordance with an aftercare plan referred to in subsection (1) or an updated aftercare plan referred to in subsection (2) may be provided for so long as—

(a) the Agency is satisfied as to his or her need for the assistance, and

(b) subject to subsection (4), he or she has not attained the age of 21 years.

(4) Where the Child and Family Agency is providing assistance to a person in accordance with an aftercare plan or an updated aftercare plan by arranging for the completion of his or her education and by contributing to his or her maintenance while he or she is completing his or her education, and that person attains the age of 21 years, the Child and Family Agency may continue to provide that assistance until—

(a) the completion of the course of education in which he or she is engaged, or

(b) the end of the academic year during which the person attains the age of 23,

whichever is the earlier.

(5) The Child and Family Agency may, subject to its available resources, implement an aftercare plan or an updated aftercare plan.”.