Citation, commencement and interpretation1.

(1)

This Scheme shall be known as the Tax Credits (Approval of Home Child Care Providers) Scheme (Northern Ireland) 2006 and shall come into operation on 6th April 2006.

(2)

In this Scheme—

“the Children Order” means the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 19952;

“the Department” means the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety;

“approval criteria” has the meaning given to it in Article 6;

“child” has the meaning attributed to it by the Child Tax Credit Regulations 20023;
“HSS Trust” means a Health and Social Services Trust established under Article 10(1) of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 19914 within whose operational area the home child care provider resides;
“operational area” in relation to an HSS Trust has the meaning given in Article 2(2) of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 19725;

“parent” includes a person who—

(a)

has parental responsibility for a child;

(b)

is an authority foster parent in relation to a child;

(c)

is a foster parent with whom a child has been placed by a voluntary organisation; or

(d)

fosters a child privately;

“parental responsibility”, “authority foster parent”, “fosters a child privately” and “voluntary organisation” have the respective meanings given to them by Article 2(2) of the Children Order;

“qualifying child care” has the meaning given to it in article 4;

“relative” in relation to a child means a grand-parent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt (whether of the full blood or half blood or by affinity) or a step-parent;

“relevant first-aid certificate” means a certificate in respect of a course of first-aid training—

(a)

which is suitable to the care of babies and children;

(b)

which includes training in the following areas: dealing with emergencies; resuscitation; shock; choking; anaphylactic shock; and

(c)

which has been undertaken by the applicant not more than three years before the date upon which the application for approval is made;

“home child care provider” means a person approved under this scheme.

(3)

The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 19546 shall apply to this Scheme as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.