Law No. (4) of 2021 Concerning the Establishment of the Family Care Authority

Article 1 — In the implementation of the provisions of this Law, the following words and ¶

phrases shall have the meanings corresponding thereto, unless the context
requires otherwise:

-- 6 of 66 --

6
Emirate : The Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Government : Abu Dhabi Government.
Executive Council : The Executive Council of the Emirate.
Department : The Department of Community Development.
Authority : The Family Care Authority.
Director-General : The Director-General of the Authority.
Family Care : Social services provided to the family or any of its
members in general, and to women, children, minors,
orphans, the needy, people of determination, youth,
the elderly, children, children of unknown parentage
and those without family care in particular, according
to their categories, to protect and care for them and
secure their rights stipulated in the legislations in force.
Beneficiary : The person entitled to the services provided by the
Authority in accordance with the conditions and
standards approved by it, whether it is a family or a
member of the community.

Article 2 — • An authority under the name of “Family Care Authority” shall be established ¶

under the provisions of this Law, it shall have an independent legal
personality, shall enjoy full legal capacity to act, and shall be affiliated to
the Department.
• The Executive Council may change the affiliation of the Authority to any
other entity specified thereby.
• The Authority shall replace Dar Zayed for Family Care and all the assets,
rights and obligations of the Dar shall be transferred to the Authority. The
lattershall be considered as the legal successor thereto.
• The assets, rights and obligations related to family care, which are
determined by the Department, in coordination with Abu Dhabi Police
General Headquarters and the Social Care & Minors Affairs Foundation,

-- 7 of 66 --

7
shall be transferred to the Authority.
• The employees and users of Dar Zayed for Family Care and the social
support centres of Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters and the Social
Care & Minors Affairs Foundation, who are identified by the Department,
in coordination with these entities, shall be transferred to the Authority,
without prejudice to their financial and pension allocations and in
accordance with the legislations in force.

Article 3 — The Authority’s main office shall be located in Abu Dhabi City and it may, ¶

upon a resolution issued by the Chairman of the Department, establish
branches or offices inside or outside the Emirate, after the approval of the
Executive Council.

Article 4 — The Authority shall assume the following competencies: ¶

1. Suggest the Authority’s public policies and strategic plans and submit
them to the Department in order to be approved by the Executive
Council.
2. Lay down the Authority’s operational plans and policies, including family
care plans and services provided to Beneficiaries, and link its outputs to
the improvement of the family’s quality of life.
3. Provide family care services in accordance with its approved policies
and rules.
4. Conduct research and studies related to family care, identify challenges
and suggest the necessary legislations to improve and develop family
care services to raise the quality of family life, in coordination with the
Department.
5. Set the necessary programmes to develop family care and case
management services to empower Beneficiaries in the community, in
accordance with the legislations in force.
6. Strengthen community awareness of the role of the family in the
community in coordination with the relevant entities.
7. Provide advice and psychological and social support to family care

-- 8 of 66 --

8
members in various cases and accidents that require the same and
protect them from abuse and harm.
8. Deal with cases related to family care that are referred to it by the
police stations or reported directly by the parties to the conflict, provide
advice and guidance, and conduct conciliation when necessary.
9. Provide health, social and educational care requirements for minor
orphans and the like.
10. Provide the requirements of children without family care and assume
their custody in general.
11. Secure foster families to provide health, psychological, social,
recreational and educational care for children without family care,
conduct follow-up with fostered children, and support foster families.
12. Instill noble values, consolidate good principles and morals, and
strengthen national identity and belonging to the State in the hearts of
children without family care.
13. Manage and organise the process of parental care and raise parents’
awareness of the appropriate methods of caring for and treating children
in coordination with the relevant entities.
14. Coordinate with the relevant entities in the development and
implementation of social programmes that contribute to the rehabilitation
of individuals with a troubled past, such as inmates of correctional and
treatment centres and shelter centres of any kind, follow up their cases
and reintegrate them into society.
15. Participate in local and international events, exhibitions and conferences
dealing with family care issues.
• The Executive Council may amend the competencies of the Authority
stated in this Law or any other legislation by deletion, addition or transfer.
• The Authority may delegate some of its competencies to any other
governmental entity or outsource some of them to the private sector after
obtaining the approval of the Executive Council.

Article 5 — • The Authority may have a Chairman whose appointment is issued by a ¶

Chairman of the Executive Council resolution and who is supervising the
functions and tasks of the Authority and its Director-General.
• The Executive Council may assign any other competencies or tasks to the
Chairman of the Authority.

-- 9 of 66 --

9

Article 6 — • The Authority shall have a Director-General appointed by a Chairman of ¶

the Executive Council resolution to manage and supervise the Authority’s
functions, and he shall in particular assume the following competencies:
1. Suggest the strategic and executive plans of the Authority and submit
them for approval in accordance with the legislations in force.
2. Follow up on the implementation of the Authority’s strategic and
executive plans, programmes, projects and activities managed or
executed by the Authority.
3. Manage, develop and implement all the strategic and executive tasks
entrusted to the Authority, either directly or through the work teams he
appoints or entrusts with tasks, in a way that does not contradict the
legislations in force.
4. Suggest initiatives, programmes, projects, studies and recommendations
related to the Authority’s functions and activities and submit them for
approval according to the procedures followed at the Department.
5. Suggest the annual draft budget of the Authority and submit it for
approval in accordance with the legislations in force.
6. Suggest the organisational structure of the Authority and submit it for
approval in accordance with the legislations in force.
7. Appoint experts, consultants and technicians on a temporary or
permanent basis, and determine their fees, and he may resort to the
experts, institutions and consulting offices he deems fit.
8. Open bank accounts in the name of the Authority in accordance with
the legislations in force.
9. Form internal committees and work teams either from among the
Authority’s employees or others, specify their tasks and the procedures
of their work.
10. Suggest legislations, organisational and executive regulations, rules,
policies, resolutions and circulars, and submit them for approval in
accordance with the legislations in force.
11. Suggest fees, tariffs and prices related to the Authority’s competencies
and submit them for approval in accordance with the legislations in
force.
12. Represent the Authority before the Courts and third parties.
13. Any other competencies or tasks assigned by the Executive Council.
• The Director-General may delegate some of his competencies to any of

-- 10 of 66 --

10
the senior staff of the Authority, provided that the delegation is in writing.
• The Executive Council may delegate any of the competencies of the
Director-General to any committees or work teams that it appoints either
from among the Authority’s employees or others.

Article 7 — • The Authority may have a Board of Trustees consisting of at least five ¶

members, including the Chairman of Board of Trustees, who are appointed
by virtue of an Executive Council resolution.
• The Board of Trustees shall provide advice and consultation to both the
Department and the Authority regarding all or some of the Authority’s
competencies and shall provide recommendations and proposals to them
regarding the plans, programmes, projects and activities that it supervises,
manages or implements.
• The Board of Trustees shall hold its meetings in accordance with the rules
and regulations approved by the Chairman of the Department.
• The Chairman of the Department may assign the Board of Trustees to
follow up on the work of the Director-General if the work requires the
same.

Article 8 — The Authority shall submit to the Department every three months or whenever ¶

the Department requires so, a report on its functions, achievements, budget,
administrative and financial affairs, and the stages of progress it has made in
carrying out the functions and tasks entrusted to it.

Article 9 — By a resolution of the Chairman of the Department, the Department may ¶

provide logistical support and all operational works regarding support
services, including human and financial resources affairs, procurement,
electronic systems and other works and tasks.

Article 10 — The Authority’s financial resources shall consist of: ¶

1. The annual appropriations allocated to it by the Government.
2. Any other revenues approved by the Executive Council.

-- 11 of 66 --

11

Article 11 — The Authority's fiscal year shall start on the first of January and end on the ¶

31st of December of every year, except the first fiscal year that shall start
on the date of entry into effect of this Law and end on the 31st of December
of the following year.

Article 12 — The Authority shall have one or more accredited auditors to verify its accounts ¶

and financial statements, who shall be appointed by virtue of a resolution
issued by the Chairman of the Department according to the legislations in
force, specifying as well as the remuneration thereof.

Article 13 — • The Authority shall be subject to the financial laws and rules in force at the ¶

Emirate.
• The Authority’s employees shall be subject to the human resources laws
and rules in force at the Emirate.
• The national employees shall be subject to the pensions law and civil
retirement benefits in force at the Emirate.

Article 14 — • The foresaid Law No. (8) of 2014 shall be repealed. ¶

• Any provision occurring in the aforesaid Law No. (19) of 2009 contradicts
the provisions of this Law shall be repealed.
• Any provision contrary to the provisions of this Law shall be repealed.

Article 15 — This Law shall be effective from the date of its issuance and published in the ¶

Official Gazette.
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Ruler of Abu Dhabi
Issued by us in Abu Dhabi
On: 18 August 2021
Corresponding to: 9 Muharram 1443 Hijri

-- 12 of 66 --

12