NTIn ForceAct
Care and Protection of Children Act 2007
42What CEO may do generally
Start here
Get a plain-English read of 42
Turn the raw legal text into a practical explanation grounded in Care and Protection of Children Act 2007.
42 What CEO may do generally
(1) The CEO may take any action that is consistent with this Act:
(a) to promote the wellbeing of children generally; or
(ab) to provide or facilitate the provision of services or support to
children, families and communities aimed at promoting or
safeguarding the wellbeing of children; or
(b) to promote the wellbeing of young persons who have left the
CEO's care; or
(c) to provide proper facilities for this Act (including the acquisition
and management of land and other property for this Act); or
(ca) to provide information to children, families and the community
generally about the development and safety of children; or
(cb) to provide or facilitate the provision of assistance to Aboriginal
communities to establish programs for preventing or reducing
incidents of harm to children in Aboriginal communities; or
(d) to undertake research, publication and collection of
information for the objects of this Act; or
(e) to cooperate with other Agencies, non-government
organisations or other persons or bodies for an action
mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (d); or
(f) to facilitate that cooperation (including the creation of
procedures for that cooperation and the review of those
procedures).
(2) The CEO must have regard to the objects and underlying principles
of this Act when acting under subsection (1).
Care and Protection of Children Act 2007 28
(3) The CEO must take reasonable steps to ensure that services
provided under this Act include, where appropriate:
(a) preventative and support services to strengthen and support
families to reduce the incidents of harm to children; and
(b) if a risk of harm to a child has been identified – services to
protect the child.
(4) The CEO must take reasonable steps to ensure that services
provided to families under this Act, where appropriate:
(a) involve meaningful engagement with families in a language
and manner they understand (for example, by providing the
use of an interpreter); and
(b) are culturally responsive; and
(c) involve a holistic assessment of children and families to
ascertain risk factors in order to enable tailored supports and
services to be provided; and
(d) promote decision-making processes that:
(i) seek to empower and strengthen families to make
decisions for their families; and
(ii) actively involve:
(A) children; and
(B) parents, family members and members of the
relevant kinship group; and
(iii) are developed with regard to the age, maturity, health,
cognitive ability and cultural background of the children
involved.