Part 3The provision of family and community services

Part 3—The provision of family and community services Division 1—Provision of local services 22—Provision of services from family and community services centres and other places (1) The Minister must endeavour, as far as is practicable, to make the services provided by the Department available to members of the public within the localities in which they live, and at, or near to places where people congregate, whether for the purposes of employment, recreation, education, medical treatment or any other purpose. (2) A family and community services centre established by the Minister may be used, with the Minister's approval, by any other department, person or agency for the furtherance of the welfare of the local community. Division 2—Special welfare funds 23—Special funds (1) The following funds will be maintained by the Minister: (a) a fund for the Family and Community Development Programme; and (b) a fund for the Early Intervention and Substitute Care Programme. (2) Each fund will consist of such money as is, from time to time, provided by Parliament for the purpose of the fund and the money appropriated to the fund by the Minister from any other source. (3) The Minister may apply any portion of the Family and Community Development Programme fund towards the costs incurred, or to be incurred, by any person or group of persons in establishing, operating, maintaining, supporting, promoting or extending any service, project or facility that will advance the welfare of children, youth or any other section of the community. (4) The Minister may apply any portion of the Early Intervention and Substitute Care Programme fund towards the costs incurred by any person or group of persons in establishing, operating, maintaining, supporting, promoting or extending— (a) a residential care facility for children; or (b) an out of home care service for children and young people (within the meaning of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017); or (c) a service, project or facility designed for the purposes of reducing the occurrence, or mitigating the adverse effects, of the placement of children in out of home care (within the meaning of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017). (5) An application for the allocation of money under this section must be made to the Minister in a manner and form approved by the Minister. (6) The Minister may allocate money under this section on such conditions as the Minister thinks fit.