Carers and Direct Payments Act (Northern Ireland) 2002

Vouchers for persons with parental responsibility for disabled children

6.  After Article 18A of the Children Order there shall be inserted—

“Vouchers for persons with parental responsibility for disabled children

18B.— (1) The Department may by regulations make provision for the issue by an authority of vouchers to a person with parental responsibility for a disabled child.

(2) “Voucher” means a document whereby, if the authority agrees with the person with parental responsibility that it would help him care for the child if the person with parental responsibility had a break from caring, that person may secure the temporary provision of services for the child under Article 18.

(3) The regulations may, in particular, provide—

(a) for the value of a voucher to be expressed in terms of money, or of the delivery of a service for a period of time, or both;

(b) for the person who supplies a service against a voucher, or for the arrangement under which it is supplied, to be approved by the authority;

(c) for a maximum period during which a service (or a service of a prescribed description) can be provided against a voucher.”.