Childcare Assistance Amendment (No. 3) Pursuant to section 124 (1) (d) of the Social Security Act 1964, I, Roger Morrison Sowry, Minister of Social Services, Work and Income, approve the following amendments to the Childcare Assistance welfare programme (as established and approved by me on 19 December 1998) which are to be read with and considered part of the programme on and from the date of this approval. Dated at Wellington this 26th day of October 1999. ROGER SOWRY, Minister of Social Services, Work and Income. A m e n d m e n t s 1. Definitions 1.1. Clause 2 (1) of the programme is amended by inserting, after the definition of the term ``Childcare subsidy'', the following definition: ``CYF'' means the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services: 1.2. Clause 2 (1) of the programme is amended by omitting the definition of the term ``OSCAR programme'', and substituting the following definition: ``OSCAR programme'' means a programme for children's out of school care and recreation provided by a service that is approved as an OSCAR service under clause 13 of this Programme: 2. Approval of OSCAR Services The programme is amended by omitting clause 13, and substituting the following clause: 13. Approval of Oscar Services (1) Any service that is from time to time approved as suitable by CYF, in relation to the matters set out in subclause (3), to provide a programme of out of school care and recreation services to children is approved as an OSCAR service for the purposes of this Programme. (2) In subclause (1), ``approved as suitable'' includes (a) An approval given on an interim or time-limited basis; and (b) An approval given subject to conditions. (3) The matters referred to in subclause (1) are: (a) The health, safety, and appropriate care and recreation of children participating in the programme: (b) The competence, training, and suitability of staff and volunteers operating the programme, and their health and safety: (c) The suitability and safety of the environment in which the programme will be operating: (d) The suitability and safety of the premises and other facilities used for the programme: (e) The responsiveness of the programme to cultural issues, including, where appropriate, consistency with the Treaty of Waitangi: (f) The compliance of the programme with relevant laws: (g) The management (including financial management) of the service and supervision of the programme. (4) An approval as an OSCAR service under subclause (1) expires if (a) The service ceases to be approved by CYF as suitable, in relation to the matters set out in subclause (3), to provide a programme of out of school care and recreation services to children; or (b) CYF suspends or revokes its approval of the OSCAR service's suitability. (5) For transitional purposes, where any programme was, on 31 July 1999, approved by the chief executive under this Programme as an OSCAR programme, the provider of that programme is considered to be approved as an OSCAR service for the purposes of this Programme. (6) An approval as an OSCAR service under subclause (5) expires: (a) On 31 January 2000, unless the OSCAR service is before that date approved under subclause (1): (b) On any earlier date that the chief executive receives advice from CYF that CYF has made an assessment of the OSCAR service and has determined that the service is not suitable, in relation to the matters set out in subclause (3), to be approved to provide a programme of out of school care and recreation services to children: (c) On any earlier date that the chief executive receives notice that the OSCAR service wishes to relinquish its approval. Explanatory Note This note is not part of the amendments but is intended to indicate their general effect. These amendments change the basis and the process for approval of services providing OSCAR programmes (i.e., programmes providing for the out of school care and recreation of children) under the Childcare Assistance welfare programme, and provide for transitional provisions.