Amended law passed for parents to maintain their children still in school up to age 23

   

Parents will soon have to maintain their children after they have attained the age of majority, once they are enrolled in an educational or training programme.

 

This will be facilitated under the amended Maintenance Act.

 

Piloting the bill, an Act to Amend the Maintenance Act and to Provide for Connected Matters, on Tuesday, Justice Minister Delroy Chuck said the government is seeking to have parents continue to provide for their children up to age 23.

 

"So, Madam Speaker, the amendment to the Maintenance Act seeks to allow for maintenance order to be granted by the court of the child who attains the age of 18 years for the purpose of engaging in a course of education or training, whether or not an order of maintenance had been issued prior. Such order, however, would not extend for any period beyond the child attaining the age of 23 years," he noted in the House of Representatives. 

 

"The amendment also seeks to allow for the application for a maintenance order to be made by the child themselves who has attained the age of 18 years, the child's parents or any other person who has the care and custody of the child," added the minister. 

 

Mr. Chuck said the amendment to the Maintenance Act results in the consequential amendment to the Children (Guardianship and Custody) Act in order to achieve consistency throughout legislation.

 

The Bill received the support of the opposition and was passed without amendment.