Adoption Regulations 2016 (Tas)

Adoption Regulations 2016

I, the Governor in and over the State of Tasmania and its Dependencies in the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Executive Council, make the following regulations under the Adoption Act 1988 .

13 December 2016

C. WARNER

Governor

By Her Excellency's Command,

J. PETRUSMA

Minister for Human Services

PART 1 - Preliminary

1. Short title These regulations may be cited as the Adoption Regulations 2016 .

2. Commencement These regulations take effect on 27 December 2016.

3. Interpretation (1) In these regulations, unless the contrary intention appears – accepted applicant means a person named in a suitability application that is accepted by the Secretary or principal officer under regulation 15(1) ; Act means the Adoption Act 1988 ; assessment report means an assessment report on an accepted applicant prepared under regulation 17 ; district registrar means a person appointed or authorised as a district registrar under section 16A of the Magistrates Court Act 1987 ; prospective adoptive parent means an accepted applicant approved by the Secretary or a principal officer as a prospective adoptive parent under regulation 19(1)(a) ; register of accepted applicants means the register of the names of accepted applicants kept by the Secretary or a principal officer under regulation 16; report writer has the meaning given by regulation 17 ; suitability application means an application for assessment of the suitability of a person to adopt a child made under regulation 13 or 14 . (2) In these regulations, a reference to a form by number is a reference to the form of that number in Schedule 1 .

PART 2 - Approved Agencies

4. Prescribed information contained in applications for approval of adoption agencies For the purpose of section 10(3)(a) of the Act, the prescribed information relating to a welfare organization to be included in an application for approval as an approved agency is as follows: (a) the proposed operating name of the proposed approved agency, which must include the words "Adoption Agency"; (b) the proposed operating address and telephone number of the principal office and any other office or premises in Tasmania of the proposed approved agency; (c) the full name, residential address, telephone number, qualifications and experience in adoption matters of the person nominated to be the principal officer of the proposed approved agency; (d) the proposed extent of employment of the principal officer by the proposed approved agency, including whether full-time employment or the expected number of hours each week; (e) the full name, residential address, telephone number, qualifications and experience in adoption matters of the person who is to be authorized to act for the principal officer during his or her absence; (f) the names, qualifications and experience in adoption matters of any other person proposed to be employed by the proposed approved agency for the purposes of – (i) the assessment of parties to adoption; and (ii) the placement of a child in the care of persons with a view to those persons adopting the child; and (iii) the counselling of parties to adoption; (g) particulars of any special facilities to be operated by, or available to, the proposed approved agency; (h) particulars of any medical, psychiatric, psychological or other consultative services available to the proposed approved agency; (i) the estimated number of adoptions expected to be arranged by the proposed approved agency annually; (j) particulars of any constitutional documents, rules and other documents of a similar nature of the proposed approved agency.