The Children Act 1989 (Contact Activity Directions and Conditions: Financial Assistance) (Wales) Regulations 2008 / Rheoliadau Deddf Plant 1989 (Cyfarwyddiadau ac Amodau Gweithgareddau Cyswllt: Cymorth Ariannol) (Cymru) 2008

Explanatory note

Reproduced verbatim from the instrument as published on legislation.gov.uk (Crown Copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0). The note is prepared by the responsible government department and is not part of the instrument itself.

These Regulations make provision enabling financial assistance to be paid in respect of an individual ordered or directed to undertake an activity that promotes contact with their child where the child is ordinarily resident in Wales (“qualifying individual”) (regulation 3(1)).

To be eligible for such assistance it must have been determined that the individual is financially eligible for funded services in relation to family proceedings and the individual must have a certificate issued under the Funding Code approved under section 9 of the Access to Justice Act 1999 in relation to the family proceedings in which the court made the contact activity direction or imposed the contact activity condition. Where that is not the case an individual will need to establish he or she is likely to suffer financial hardship if he or she has to pay the charge or fee for the contact activity (regulation 3(2)).

Regulation 3(2) further provides that assistance may only be given if the contact activity is provided by an approved provider. An approved provider is approved by the Welsh Ministers or the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.

Regulation 4 allows the payments of financial assistance to be made directly to the approved provider.