CHAPTER 59 THE CHILDREN ACT. Commencement: 1 August, 1997. An Act to reform and consolidate the law relating to children; to provide for the care, protection and maintenance of children; to provide for local authority support for children; to establish a family and children court; to make provision for children charged with offences and for other connected purposes. PART I—INTERPRETATION. 1. Interpretation. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires— (a) “approved home” means a Government or nongovernmental home approved by the Minister to provide substitute family care for a child and includes a babies’ home and children’s home which provide care and accommodation for children aged below six years and aged between three to under eighteen years respectively; (b) “authorised person” means an official or other person authorised expressly or impliedly to perform the act in question; (c) “care order” means a care order made under Part V of this Act and includes an interim care order; (d) “chief magistrate’s court” means a magistrate’s court presided over by a chief magistrate; (e) “competent authority” means an official or body or other person authorised expressly or impliedly by any enactment or otherwise to perform the act in question; (f) “custodian” means a person in whose care a child is physically placed; (g) “detention centre” means a detention centre within the meaning of section 96; (h) “exclusion order” means an exclusion order made under section 34; (i) “foster care placement” means the placement of a child with a person who is not his or her parent or relative and who is willing to undertake the care and maintenance of the child;