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Youth Justice Act 2005
140EFamily responsibility agreement
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140E Family responsibility agreement
(1) A family responsibility agreement may provide as follows:
(a) it may require a parent to undertake counselling or therapy
directed at helping the parent to overcome addictive,
destructive or damaging behaviour;
(b) it may require a parent to:
(i) undertake counselling to provide guidance in the
effective discharge of the parent's parental
responsibilities; or
(ii) join and participate in the activities of an appropriate
support group; or
(iii) undertake any other relevant course or program of
personal development (including, if appropriate, a
residential course or program);
(c) it may require a parent to exercise proper care and
supervision of the youth and, in particular, to take all
reasonable steps to ensure that:
(i) the youth attends school; and
(ii) the youth keeps away from, and avoids contact with,
persons named or described in the agreement; and
(iii) the youth keeps away from places described in the
agreement;
(d) it may contain any other provisions, relevant to the effective
care and supervision of the youth, that are agreed between
the parties.
(2) A family responsibility agreement remains in force for a term stated
in the agreement but the term cannot:
(a) exceed 12 months; or
(b) extend beyond the date on which the youth turns 18.
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(3) Before entering into a family responsibility agreement, the
appropriate Agency must:
(a) ensure facilities and services reasonably required by the
parent or parents to comply with the agreement are
reasonably available to the parent or parents in the relevant
region; and
(b) consider the following:
(i) the circumstances of the youth's family and the likely
effect of the agreement on the family;
(ii) whether the youth, or a parent of the youth, suffers from
a physical or mental disability or condition that causes or
contributes to the youth's behavioural problems;
(iii) the outcome of any inquiry under Division 3; and
(c) ensure procedures are in place for the family responsibility
agreement to be regularly reviewed to assess the parent's or
parents' compliance and capacity to comply with it.