Children’s Act 2014

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Version as at 28 October 2021

Coat of Arms of New Zealand

Children’s Act 2014

Public Act
 
2014 No 40
Date of assent
 
30 June 2014
Commencement
 
see section 2

Act name: amended, on 21 December 2018, by section 5 of the Children’s Amendment Act 2018 (2018 No 58).

Note

The Parliamentary Counsel Office has made editorial and format changes to this version using the powers under subpart 2 of Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019.

Note 4 at the end of this version provides a list of the amendments included in it.

This Act is administered by Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children and the Ministry of Education.

Contents

1Title
2Commencement
2ATransitional, savings, and related provisions
3Act binds the Crown
Part 1
Strategy for improving children’s well-being and oranga tamariki action plan
4Purpose of this Part
4ATreaty of Waitangi (Tiriti o Waitangi)
5Interpretation
Strategy for improving children’s well-being
6Adoption of strategy
6AStrategy and international obligations
6BPolicy-related principles Minister must have regard to before strategy adopted or changed
6CChild-related principles Minister must have regard to before strategy adopted or changed
6DOther consultation before strategy adopted or changed
6EPublication and status of strategy
7Content of strategy
7ADuty to review strategy
7BDuty to prepare and publish annual report on progress in achieving strategy’s outcomes
7CAnnual report: analysis of identified populations
Oranga tamariki action plan
7DPurpose of plan
8Preparation of plan
8APublication and status of plan
9Content of plan
10Duration of plan
10AReview and amendment or replacement of plan
11Implementation reports
Effect and accountabilities
12Effect of strategy and plan
13Accountabilities
Part 2
Child protection policies
14Purpose of this Part
15Interpretation
16Prescribed State services to adopt, report on, and require child protection policies
17DHBs boards to adopt, report on, and require child protection policies
18School boards to adopt and require child protection policies
19Content of child protection policy
20Effect of child protection policy
Part 3
Children’s worker safety checking
21Purpose of this Part
22Application to Crown
23Interpretation
24Specified organisation defined
Obligations of specified organisations
25Safety checks of new children’s workers
26Safety checks of existing children’s workers
27Periodic safety checks of children’s workers
28Core worker convicted of specified offence not to be employed or engaged
Defences
29Defence of taking all reasonable steps
30Defence relating to short-term emergencies
Safety checks
31Requirements of safety checks
Regulations
32Regulations prescribing requirements for safety checks
33Other regulations
34Transitional provision relating to local authorities, etc
Exemption for workers convicted of specified offence
35Exemption for certain individuals
36Application for exemption
37Revocation of exemption
38Appeal against decision not to grant, or to revoke, exemption
Monitoring compliance
39Requirement to provide information to chief executives
Miscellaneous
40Approval of screening services
41Prosecution of offences
Consequential amendments to other enactments
42Amendments to Crown Organisations (Criminal Liability) Act 2002
43Amendment to Sentencing Act 2002
44Amendment to Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act 2004
Schedule 1AA
Transitional, savings, and related provisions
Schedule 1
Regulated services
Schedule 2
Specified offences
Notes

The Parliament of New Zealand enacts as follows: