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Page 4890 
 
Collection of Laws no. 373/2006 
 
Number 117 
 
373 
The  Prime Minister 
declares 
the full text of Act no 359/1999 Coll., on the Socio-Legal Protection of Children, 
as amended by Act no 257/2000 Coll., Act no. 272/2001 Coll., Act no 320/2002 Coll., 
Act no. 518/2002 Coll., Act no 222/2003 Coll., Act no 52/2004 Coll., Act no 315/2004 
Coll., Act no. 436/2004 Coll., Act no. 501/2004 Coll., Act no. 57/2005 Coll., Act no. 
381/2005 Coll. and Act no. 134/2006 Coll. 
 
Act 
on the Socio-Legal Protection of Children 
 
Parliament has adopted this law of the Czech Republic 
 
PART ONE 
OPENING PROVISIONS 
 
Article 1 
Socio-legal protection of children 
 
(1) Socio-legal protection of children (hereinafter "socio-legal protection") is understood 
to mean: 
a) defending the rights of children to be brought up under favourable conditions and to 
have a proper education 
b) defending the valid interests of the child, including the protection of his/her property 
c) actions to restore non-functioning families. 
(2) Special legislation regulating the protection of the rights and valid interests of the 
child shall remain unaffected. 
 
Article 2 
 
(1) For the purposes of this Act, a child is understood to be a minor 1). 
(2) Socio-legal protection shall be provided to a child who: 
a) is permanently resident in the Czech Republic, 
b) has permission to reside permanently or possesses a visa entitling them to stay in the 
Czech Republic for a period of at least 90 days pursuant to a special regulation1a), 
c) has applied for asylum on the territory of the Czech Republic, 
d) is authorized to stay permanently2), 
                                                 
1 Article 1 Notification no. 104/1991 Coll., on the Convention on the Rights of the Child. 
Article 8 of Act no. 40/1964 Coll., the Civil Code as amended by Act no. 509/1991 Coll. 
1a Act no. 326/1999 Coll., on Residence of Aliens on the Territory of the Czech Republic and on 
Amendments to certain Acts, as amended by Act no. 140/2001 Coll. 
2 Article 87 of Act no. 326/1999 Coll., on Residence of Aliens on the Territory of the Czech Republic and 
on Amendments to certain Acts 

e) is staying with his/her parents who have applied for residence on the territory of the 
Czech Republic for the purpose to acquiring temporary protection or who are staying on 
the basis of a visa authorizing them to reside on the territory of the Czech Republic for 
the purpose of temporary protection pursuant to a special regulation2a). 
(3) Within the scope of this Act (Articles 37 and 40), socio-legal protection shall also be 
provided to a child who does not have right of permanent abode on the territory of the 
Czech Republic or does not possess a visa  authorizing them to stay for a period of at 
least 90 days pursuant to a special regulation1a) regulating the residence of aliens on the 
territory of the Czech Republic, and does not have the right to stay permanently on the 
territory of the Czech Republic pursuant to a special regulation 2). 
 
Article 3 
 
(1) An Office for International Legal Protection of Children (hereinafter "the Office") 
shall be established in Brno.  The Office is an administrative authority with nationwide 
competence; it shall report to the Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs (hereinafter "the 
Ministry"). 
(2) The Office shall be headed by a Director, who shall be appointed and removed by the 
Minister for Labour and Social Affairs. 
 
Article 4 
 
(1) Socio-legal protection authorities shall provide socio-legal protection, these being: 
a) regional authorities 
b) municipal authorities of municipalities with extended powers 
c) municipal authorities 
d) the Ministry 
e) the Office 
(2) Socio-legal protection shall also be provided by: 
a) independent municipalities 
b) independent regions 
c) committees for socio-legal protection of children 
d) other legal entities and natural persons who are empowered to provide socio-legal 
protection, (hereinafter "empowered persons"). 
 
PART TWO 
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF SOCIO-LEGAL PROTECTION 
 
Article 5 
 
The primary consideration for socio-legal protection is the best interests and welfare of 
the child. 
 
                                                 
2a Act no. 221/2003 Coll., on Temporary Protection of Aliens 
 
 

Article 6 
 
(1) Socio-legal protection shall primarily focus upon children 
a) whose parents 
1. are deceased, 
2. fail to fulfil the obligations arising from their parental responsibility 3), or 
3. fail to perform, or abuse, the rights arising from their parental responsibility; 
b) who have been entrusted into the care of a natural person other than their parents, if 
that person does not fulfil the obligations arising from the placement of the child in their 
charge; 
c) who lead an idle or immoral lifestyle, particularly in cases where they neglect school 
attendance, do not work although they do not have sufficient funds to maintain 
themselves, use alcohol or other habit-forming substances, support themselves through 
prostitution, have committed a criminal offence or, if under the age of fifteen, have 
committed an offence that would otherwise constitute a criminal offence 4), repeatedly or 
systematically commit misdemeanours 5) or otherwise threaten social harmony; 
d) who repeatedly run away from their parents or another natural or legal person 
responsible for the child's upbringing; 
e) who have been the victim of a criminal offence that would put their life, health, human 
dignity, moral education or property at risk, or who are suspected of being the victim of 
such an offence; 
f) who are repeatedly placed in full-time social welfare facilities for children or have been 
placed in such facilities for more than 6 months on the request of their parents or another 
person responsible for their upbringing; 
g) who are at risk of violence between their parents or other persons responsible for their 
upbringing, or from violence between other natural persons; 
h) who are asylum seekers separated from their parents or other persons responsible for 
their upbringing; 
insofar as these facts continue for such a period of time or are of such an intensity as to 
be prejudicial to the child's development or they are, or might be, detrimental to the 
child's development. 
(2) For the purposes of this Act, other natural persons or legal entities responsible for the 
child's upbringing are understood to be persons into whose care the child was entrusted 
by decision of the competent authority (hereinafter "persons responsible for the child's 
upbringing"). 
 
Article 7 
 
(1) Everyone has the right to report the wrongful behaviour of parents towards their 
children. 
(2) Everyone has the right to report to the socio-legal protection authorities any breach of 
obligations or abuse of rights arising from parental responsibility, the fact that parents are 
unable to fulfil the obligations arising from their parental responsibility or any facts 
                                                 
3 Article 31 and following of Act no. 94/1963 on the Family, as amended by Act no. 91/1998 Coll.  
4 Article 86 of Act no. 140/1961 Coll., the Criminal Code, as amended by Act no. 175/1990 Coll. 
5 Article 2 of Act no. 200/1990 Coll., on Misdemeanours 

contained in Article 6, paragraph 1, clauses b) to h); this does not affect any obligations 
arising from a special regulation 6). 
 
 
 
Article 8 
 
(1) Each child has the right to request that socio-legal protection authorities and socio-
legal protection facilities, state bodies who are also empowered to defend the rights and 
valid interests of the child by special regulation 7), empowered persons, schools, 
educational and medical facilities for assistance to protect his/her life and other of his/her 
rights; these bodies, legal entities and natural persons and empowered persons shall be 
obliged to provide the child with the assistance he/she requires.  The child has the right to 
request this assistance without the knowledge of his/her parents or other persons 
responsible for the child's upbringing.   
(2) A child who is capable of formulating his/her own views has the right freely to 
express these views for the purposes of socio-legal protection during discussions of all 
matters affecting the child, even without the presence of his/her parents or other persons 
responsible for the child's upbringing.  When discussing all matters affecting the child, 
his/her views shall be given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the 
child.  In performing its activities, the socio-legal protection authority shall take account 
of the wishes and feelings of the child in accordance with his/her age and maturity in 
order to avoid threatening or disturbing his/her emotional and psychological development. 
(3) A child who, given his/her age and maturity, is able to assess the scope and 
importance of the decision made during the legal or administrative proceedings to which 
he/she was a participant, or whether it is another decision that personally affects him/her, 
shall be informed by the socio-legal protection authority of all matters that might 
significantly affect him/her. 
 
Article 9 
 
The parent or other person responsible for the child's upbringing has the right to request 
assistance from the socio-legal protection authority or a government body that is also 
authorised by special regulation 8to defend the rights and valid interests of the child, or an 
empowered person during the performance of his/her rights and responsibilities; these 
bodies shall provide this assistance to the extent their authority allows and these 
empowered persons to the extent of their powers. 
 
 
PART THREE 
SOCIO-LEGAL PROTECTION MEASURES 
                                                 
6 Article 168 of the Criminal Code 
7 For example Article 178 of Act no. 99/1963 Coll., the Civil Procedure Code, as amended, Articles 2 and 
43 of Act no. 283/1991 Coll. on  the Police of the Czech Republic, as amended. 
8 For example Article 46 of Act no. 202/1990 Coll. on Lotteries and other Similar Games as amended by 
Act no. 149/1998 Coll. 

 
CHAPTER I 
PREVENTIVE AND ADVISORY MEASURES 
 
Article 10 
(1) The municipal authority shall: 
a) seek out children described in Article 6, paragraph 1, 
b) encourage parents to fulfil the obligations that arise from their parental responsibility 
c) discuss methods of remedying the child's behavioural problems with his/her parents 
d) discuss the child's behavioural problems with him/her 
e)  monitor whether the use of restrictive measures 8) has prevented the child from 
accessing environments which pose a threat to his/her development and education, 
f) at their request, provide parents with, or arrange for them to have, counselling while 
exercising the rights of the child, pursuant to a special regulation 9), 
g) to inform the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers of any facts 
that might indicate that this is a child as referred to in Article 6 paragraph 1. 
 
(2) Independent municipalities and independent regions shall create the infrastructure to 
support cultural, sporting and other interesting and educational activities for children. 
 
(3) Municipal authorities of municipalities with extended powers shall 
a) monitor any influences that might be detrimental to children and determine their 
causes, 
b) take measures to restrict the effect of these detrimental influences on children. 
 
(4) State bodies, empowered persons, schools, educational and health care facilities, or 
any other facilities established to care for children are obliged to inform the municipal 
authority of a municipality with extended powers of any facts that might indicate that this 
is a child as referred to in Article 6, paragraph 1, without unnecessary delay once they 
have learned of such facts.  On admitting the child to the facility, the founder of the 
facility referred to in Article 39, clause c) is under obligation to announce these facts to 
the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers in the district where the 
child has permanent residence, and, if the place of residence is not known, to the 
municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers in which the institution that 
has admitted the child is located, without unnecessary delay.  When fulfilling the 
obligations set forth in the first and second sentences hereto pursuant to a special 
regulation 9a), appeal cannot be made to the duty to maintain confidentiality. 
 
(5) When treating a child's injuries, the health care facility is obliged to make a record of 
such injuries should there be any suspicion of maltreatment, child abuse or neglect.  The 
                                                 
 
9 For example Act no. 117/1995 Coll., on State Social Support as amended, Act no. 482/1991 Coll., on 
Social Needs, as amended, Act no. 155/1995 Coll., on Pension Insurance, as amended and Act no. 
199/1988 Coll., on Social Security, as amended. 
9a For example Article 55 paragraph 2 of Act no. 20/1966 Coll., as amended, Act no. 548/1991 Coll., and 
Act no. 123 2000 Coll. 

person accompanying the child shall make a record of the source of the injuries (hereafter 
the "record"), or the child him/herself if he/she has been admitted to have the injuries 
treated unaccompanied and provided this is possible in view of his/her age and maturity.  
The person accompanying the child shall enter the cause of the injury in the record, as 
shall the child if the child fills in the record.  If the health care facility discovers that the 
nature of the injury does not correspond to the description of the injury made by the 
person accompanying the child or the child him/herself, this fact shall be entered into the 
record.  Should the person accompanying the child, or the child him/herself, refuse to 
complete the record, the health care facility shall enter this fact in the record. 
 
(6) The health care facility shall send the record to the municipal authority of the 
municipality with extended powers. 
 
(7) Fulfilling the obligations set forth in paragraphs 5 and 6 does not affect the duty of the 
health care facility to inform pursuant to special legal provisions.  The last sentence of 
paragraph 4 also applies to the obligation set forth in paragraphs 5 and 6 above. 
 
Article 10a 
 
(1) The health care facility shall inform the municipal authority of a municipality with 
extended powers that a mother has abandoned her child after its birth and left it in the 
health care facility. 
 
(2) Anyone who, with the consent of the parents or other persons responsible for the 
child's upbringing and without a decision being made by the competent body, takes a 
child into their care with the intent of adopting the child permanently, is obliged to 
inform the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers of this fact 
without delay. 
 
(3) The last sentence of Article 10, paragraph 4 also applies to the obligations set forth in 
paragraphs 1 and 2. 
 
Article 11 
Counselling 
 
(1) The municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers 
a) shall assist parents to resolve educational or other problems relating to childcare, 
b) shall provide or arrange for counselling to be provided to parents on child upbringing 
and education and on care for disabled children, 
c) within the framework of these advisory activities, shall organise lectures and courses 
focusing on resolving educational, social and other problems relating to the care and 
upbringing of children, 
d) shall provide persons approved to become adoptive or foster parents with counselling 
relating to adoption and foster care, particularly as concerns the upbringing of the child. 
 
(2) The regional authority shall  

a) prepare natural persons suitable to become adoptive or foster parents to accept a child 
into their family and provide these persons with advice relating to the adoption of a child 
or placing a child in foster care, including special preparation for temporary foster care, 
b) provide advice for adoptive or foster parents relating to the child's adoption or placing 
the child in foster care, particularly in questions regarding its upbringing. 
 
(3) Regional authorities may also provide preparatory courses and advice pursuant to 
paragraph 2 above for guardians if the child is in the guardian's personal care, or when 
the child has been placed in care pursuant to Article 45 of the Family Act. 
 
(4) The regional authority is obliged to organize a consultation on foster care at least once 
each year.  In addition to experts on resolving educational and social problems, foster 
parents who are permanently resident in the region shall also attend the consultation; 
children in the care of these foster parents and other natural persons living in the foster 
parent's household may also attend the consultation 9b). 
 
(5) Other persons responsible for raising children shall also be provided with preventive 
and advisory assistance pursuant to Article 10 paragraph 1 clauses b), c) and f) and 
advisory assistance pursuant to paragraph 1, clauses a) and b). 
 
Article 12 
 
(1) The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers may impose on the 
parents an obligation to seek assistance from a professional advice facility if the parents 
a) have not provided the child with professional advice despite the fact that such 
assistance is indispensable to the child and the municipal authority of the municipality 
with extended powers had previously recommended this assistance, 
b) are unable to deal with problems associated with the child's upbringing without 
specialist help, particularly in disputes over sharing in the child's upbringing or over 
contact with the child. 
 
(2) After placing the child in a facility providing institutional care (Article 28) or into a 
facility catering for children who require immediate assistance (Article 42), the municipal 
authority of a municipality with extended powers shall provide assistance to the parents, 
which primarily consists of helping them to restore a family situation which would enable 
the child to return to his/her family, to resolve living and social problems, including the 
family's financial standing, and to assist in their dealings with social welfare 
organizations, unemployment offices and other state and other bodies and to that end 
shall also arrange professional counselling for the family. 
 
(3) The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers may impose the 
obligation set forth in paragraph 1 and may also provide the assistance set forth in 
paragraph 2 to other persons responsible for raising a child. 
 
 
                                                 
9b Article 115 of the Civil Code 

Article 13 
Disciplinary measures 
 
(1) The municipal authority decides on the measures to take pursuant to a special 
regulation 10), if the court has not done so; in so doing it shall give consideration to 
whether the deficiencies discussed  pursuant to Article 10, paragraph 1, clauses b) to d) 
have now been remedied.  The municipal authority shall send a copy of its decision to the 
municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers. 
 
(2) The municipal authority shall monitor compliance with the measures it ordered.  The 
municipal authority or the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers 
shall monitor compliance with measures ordered by the court 10) if so required by the 
court. 
 
CHAPTER II 
CHILD PROTECTION MEASURES 
 
Article 14 
 
(1) The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers shall petition the 
court under the conditions set forth in a special regulation 11) 
a) to decide that the conditions for adoption have been satisfied in that the parents have 
not shown any interest in their child, 
b) to restrict or remove parental responsibility or to suspend its performance, 
c) to order institutional care, 
d) to extend or terminate institutional care, 
e) to place the child in the care of a facility catering for children requiring immediate 
assistance, to extend the duration of such care and to revoke the decision to place the 
child in the care of this facility. 
 
(2) If the measures ordered by the court pursuant to a special regulation 10) have led to an 
improvement in the child's behaviour or in the behaviour of the parents or other persons 
who disturbed the child's proper upbringing, the municipal authority of a municipality 
with extended powers may petition the court to revoke these measures. 
 
(3) The municipal authority shall suggest measures concerning the child's upbringing to 
the court pursuant to a special regulation 12).  The municipal authority shall inform the 
municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers of the suggestions 
submitted to the court without delay. 
 
                                                 
10 Article 43 of the Family Act 
 
11 Articles 44, 46 and Article 68, paragraphs 1 and 3 of the Family Act 
 
12 Article 178 of the Civil Procedure Code 

(4) The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers shall cooperate with 
the court in making decisions concerning minor children pursuant to a special regulation 
12a). 
 
Article 15 
 
(1) Should a child be without care appropriate to his/her age, particularly as a 
consequence of the death of his/her parents or their stay in a health care facility, the 
municipal authority is obliged to provide urgent care for the child; it will generally give 
precedence to the provision of this care by the child's relations.  The municipal authority 
shall inform the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers that these 
measures have been taken. 
 
(2) The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers shall judge whether 
the rights of the child have been sufficiently upheld in the case set forth in paragraph 1 
above and whether his/her justifiable needs have been satisfied, or whether additional 
child protection measures need to be taken. 
 
Article 16 
 
Should no care be provided for the child or if his/her life or normal development are 
under serious threat or disrupted, the municipal authority of a municipality with extended 
powers is obliged without delay to petition the court to order temporary measures 
pursuant to a special regulation 13). 
 
Article 16a 
 
(1) The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers is obliged to assess 
whether measures should be adopted for the child's protection if the parents or other 
persons responsible for the child's upbringing have agreed, without a decision from a 
competent authority, to hand the child over to be cared by a person who intends to adopt 
the child into his/her permanent or long-term care.  The municipal authority of a 
municipality with extended powers is obliged to take such measures, particularly in the 
case where the person who has taken the child into his/her care does not submit an 
application to adopt or foster the child or to place the child in the care of a natural person 
who wishes to foster him/her, to place the child into the care of a natural person other 
than the parents or some other legal arrangements for the child without delay, pursuant to 
a special regulation 13a). 
(2) The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers shall provide 
assistance in submitting a petition to the competent authority to rule on the legal 
relationship of the person into whose care the child has been placed pursuant to the first 
sentence of paragraph 1 to the child and in enforcing his/her claims, particularly in social 
matters. 
                                                 
12a Article 272 to 273a of the Civil Procedure Code, as amended 
13 Article 76a of the Civil Procedure Code 
13a Articles 45 to 45d, Articles 63 to 82 of the Family Act, as amended 

 
Article 17 
 
The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers 
a) acts as guardian and curator 14); it can even act as the child's guardian in cases 
concerning foreigners, 
b) takes urgent measures on behalf of the child and represents him/her when no guardian 
has been appointed for the child or until the appointed guardian takes up his/her 
function15). 
 
Article 18 
 
According to a special regulation16) the regional authority shall petition the court to place 
the child in foster care or for his/her adoption (Article 24), or the Ministry insofar as it 
has arranged for the child to be placed in foster care or to be adopted (Article 24a); in all 
other cases this petition shall be made by the municipal authority of a municipality with 
extended powers. 
 
CHAPTER III 
ACTIVITIES OF SOCIO-LEGAL PROTECTION BODIES IN PLACING THE CHILD 
IN THE CARE OF NATURAL PERSONS OTHER THAN THE PARENTS 
 
Article 19 
 
(1) The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers decides to place the 
child 
a) into the care of his/her future adoptive parents 17), if the child has been placed an 
institution or in a facility catering for children requiring immediate assistance on a basis 
of a court decision or his/her parents´ wishes, unless it is a case that falls under the 
provisions of paragraph 2, 
b) into the care of a natural person who wishes to become a foster parent 18), if the child 
has been placed an institution or in a facility catering for children requiring immediate 
assistance on a basis of a court decision or with the approval of his/her parents; 
and sends the information concerning the care found for the child to the competent court 
within 15 days from the day of the decision.  Unless the case falls under the provisions of 
Article 20, paragraph 3, the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers 
has the right to decide whether the child should be placed in adoptive care or into the care 
of future foster parents only with applicants listed in the register held by the regional 
authority or the Ministry pursuant to Article 24, paragraph 3 or Article 24a, paragraph 4. 
                                                 
14 For example Articles 37, 37b and 79 of the Family Act, Article 45 of Act no. 141/1961 Coll., on 
Criminal Procedure (the Criminal Code) as amended, Article 16 of Act no. 71/1967 Coll., on 
Administrative Procedure (Rules of Administrative Procedure) 
15 Article 79, paragraph 4 of the Family Act 
16 Articles 45b and 70 of the Family Act 
17 Article 69, paragraph 2 of the Family Act 
18 Article 45b, paragraph 2 of the Family Act 

(2) The office shall decide whether to place the child in the care of the future adoptive 
parents 19) if the adoption is an intercountry adoption to or from the Czech Republic. 
(3) The municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers shall obtain the 
parent's written consent to the adoption 20). 
(4) if the child is placed in foster care or accepted by the future foster parent on the basis 
of a decision pursuant to paragraph 1, clause b), the State Social Security Office, which 
provides benefits to cover the child's needs pursuant to a special regulation 20a), shall 
petition the court to set alimentation for the child and if the natural person who is liable 
does not pay this alimentation, files for execution. 
(5) The municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers monitors the 
development of children placed in the care of natural persons other than their parents; 
employees of the municipality with extended powers working at the municipal authority 
shall visit the family with whom the child is living, or another location where the child is 
staying at least once every 3 months for the period of the first 6 months of substitute 
parental care and afterwards in accordance with the interests of the child as needed, but at 
least once every 6 months on the basis of a special authorization issued by the 
municipality with extended powers, containing the name and surname of the employee, 
additional personal details and a description of the activities this employee is authorized 
to perform. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
ARRANGING ADOPTION AND FOSTER CARE 
 
Article 19a 
(1) Arranging adoption and foster care covers 
a) seeking out children described in Article 2, paragraph 2 who are suitable for adoption 
or to be placed in foster care, 
b) seeking out natural persons suitable to be adoptive or foster parents, 
c) the specialized preparation of natural persons suitable to be adoptive or foster parents 
to bring a child into their family, 
d) the selection of a natural person suitable to be adoptive or foster parents for a specific 
child whose adoption or foster care being arranged and in arranging a meeting between 
the child and this person. 
(2) No other body, legal entity or natural person other than the socio-legal protection 
bodies listed in Article 4 paragraph 1 may arrange adoptions and foster care pursuant to 
paragraph 1, clause d). 
 
Article 20 
Arranging for adoption and foster care by Socio-Legal Protection Authorities 
 
(1) Adoption or foster care in the Czech Republic and adopting children from abroad to 
the Czech Republic shall only be arranged at the request of a natural person who wishes 
to adopt or provide foster care for a child (hereinafter the "applicant").  An application by 
                                                 
19 Article 69 of the Family Act 
20 Article 68a of the Family Act 
20a Articles 37 and 38 of Act no. 117/1995 Coll., on State Social Support, as amended 

a Czech citizen who is permanently resident on the territory of the Czech Republic and 
by an alien who is authorized to reside permanently on the territory of the Czech 
Republic or who has a visa authorizing him/her to reside on the territory of the Czech 
Republic for a period of at least 365 days, according to special legal provisions regulating 
the residence of aliens on the territory of the Czech Republic 1a), shall be submitted to the 
municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers. 
(2) Arrangements for 
a) the adoption and foster care of children in the Czech Republic are made by regional 
authorities and the Ministry, 
b) the adoption of children from the Czech Republic to other countries or children from 
other countries to the Czech Republic are made by the Office. 
(3) Arrangements for 
a) adoptions are not made if, 
1. the parents had previously agreed to place the child for adoption with specific adoptive 
parents, or 
2. an application for adoption is received from the spouse of the child's parent or a 
widowed spouse of the child's parent or adoptive parent; 
b) foster care orders are not made if a petition has been submitted to place the child in the 
foster care of a relative of the child or a natural person close to the child or his/her family. 
 
Article 21 
Procedures for municipal authorities of municipalities with extended powers when 
arranging adoptions and foster care 
 
(1) The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers seeks out children 
described in Article 19a paragraph 1 and natural persons suitable to be adoptive or foster 
parents; municipalities and empowered persons can also seek out suitable children and 
parents and recommend them to the municipal authority of a municipality with extended 
powers. 
(2) The applicant shall complete the application form to be included in the register of 
applicants for adoption or foster care submitted to the municipal authority of a 
municipality with extended powers and attach the documents listed in paragraph 5 clause 
a), which are required for the documentation records. 
(3) Upon receipt of the application, the municipal authority of a municipality with 
extended powers, shall assess it on the basis of the information it contains and the 
attached documentation and shall reject the application if 
a) the conditions set forth in Article 20, paragraphs 1 and 3 are not satisfied, or 
b) it discovers that the person applying for the adoption or foster care of a child normally 
resident in the Czech Republic to be arranged, fulfils the conditions for residence in the 
Czech Republic pursuant to Article 20, paragraph 1, although his/her normal residence is 
outside the territory of the Czech Republic; it shall also inform his/her that the application 
must be submitted to the competent body of the state in which he/she normally resides. 
(4) The municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers shall keep records 
of the child as set forth in Article 19a, paragraph 1; these records shall contain 
a) personal data, 
                                                 
 

b) documentary proof of nationality 21), a permit granting permanent residence on the 
territory of the Czech Republic or a visa authorizing the holder to stay on the territory of 
the Czech Republic for a period of at least 90 days pursuant to a special regulation1a) 
regulating the alien's stay in the Czech Republic or a permit authorizing permanent 
residence on the territory of the Czech Republic pursuant to a special regulation2) or a 
document on an application for asylum, 
c) information on the social relations of children, their parents, siblings and grandparents 
if applicable, 
d) documentary evidence that the child satisfies the conditions for adoption pursuant to a 
special legal regulation23), 
e) a decision by the competent bodies on the child's upbringing if this has been issued, 
f) a medical report on the child's health and development. 
(5) The municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers shall keep 
documentary records on the applicant; these records shall contain 
a) the application, containing the applicant's personal details, including the name or 
names, surname, date of birth and permanent address; 
b) a document proving nationality or a permit for permanent residence on the territory of 
the Czech Republic or a visa authorizing the holder to stay on the territory of the Czech 
Republic for a period of at least 365 days pursuant to special legal provisions 1a) 
regulating the residence of aliens on the territory of the Czech Republic; 
c) a copy of the entry in the criminal records23 for the municipal authority of the 
municipality with extended powers; 
d) a medical report supplied by the applicant; 
e) information on his/her financial and social situation; 
f) a written declaration by the applicant that 
1. he/she agrees to be included in the register held by the Office for the Adoption of 
Children from Abroad after the deadline set forth in Article 23, paragraph 3,  
2. exclusively requests to adopt a child from abroad; 
g) written consent authorizing the socio-legal protection body arranging the adoption or 
foster care to 
1. obtain the additional information it requires, particularly on whether the way of life the 
applicant will provide for the child is a suitable environment for its upbringing, 
2. confirm at any time that there have been no changes in the principal facts set forth in 
the records; 
h) written consent to attend courses to prepare natural persons to accept a child into their 
family; 
i) the opinion of the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers on the 
application for adoption or foster care; 
                                                 
21 Article 20 of Act no. 40/1993 Coll., on the Acquisition and Loss of Citizenship of the Czech Republic, as 
amended by Act no. 194/1999 Coll. 
22 Articles 68 and 68a of the Family Act 
 
 
 
 
23 Article 10 of Act no. 269/1994 on the Penal Register 

j) the opinion of the founders of the foster care facility (Article 44), requested by the 
municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers, if the application to be 
included in the register of applicants for foster care is from a natural person who is 
currently providing this foster care in a foster care facility 
(6) The municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers shall send copies 
of the documentary records of the child described in Article 19a paragraph 1 and the 
records on the applicant to the regional authority without delay. 
(7) The municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers shall decide 
whether to terminate proceedings to include the applications for adoption or foster care in 
the records, if the person who requested the arrangements, 
a) withdraws their application before the records have been forwarded to the regional 
authority, or 
b) does not provide the information and documents needed for the records when so 
requested by the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers. 
 
Article 22 
Keeping records on arrangements for adoption and foster care by the regional authority 
 
(1) In order to arrange adoption or foster care, the regional authority shall keep records on 
the child as set forth in Article 19a, paragraph 1 (hereinafter the "child's records") and 
records on the applicants suitable to become adoptive or foster parents (hereinafter the 
"applicant's records"). 
The child's records shall contain 
a) a copy of the records pursuant to Article 21, paragraph 4; 
b) an expert report pursuant to Article 27 if needed having regard to 
1. the age of the child 
2. the opinion of a medical specialist, or 
3. any other significant fact; 
c) the opinion of the child, acquired by the regional authority (Article 8, paragraph 2); 
d) other documents required in order to arrange adoption or foster care. 
 
(3) The applicant's records shall contain 
a) a copy of the records pursuant to Article 21, paragraph 5, 
b) an expert report pursuant to Article 27, 
c) other documents required in order to arrange the adoption or foster care. 
 
(4) If the applicant wishes to adopt a child exclusively from abroad (Article 21, paragraph 
5, clause 2), the regional authority shall draw up an expert review pursuant to Article 27 
and send a copy of the information contained in the applicant's records without delay to 
the Office to be included in the records for intercountry adoption. 
 
(5) The regional authority shall interrupt the proceedings to include the applicant in the 
records of applicants for adoption or foster care 
a) on the basis of a request from the applicant, for the length of time required in view of 
the reasons provided by the applicant in the request to interrupt the proceedings, 

b) if criminal proceedings have been commenced against the applicant or against his/her 
spouse, partner, children or other persons living in the applicant's household 9b) for a 
criminal offence against life, health, human dignity, moral development or a child's 
property, or for any other criminal offence that might affect the capacity of the applicant 
to bring the child up properly, until a final ruling has been made on these criminal 
proceedings, 
c) if it discovers reasons preventing the expert report being drawn up on the applicant 
pursuant to Article 27, for the length of time required. 
 
(6) The regional authority shall decide whether to include the applicant in the register of 
applicants immediately after the expert report is made on the applicant pursuant to Article 
27.  In its decision to include the applicant in the register of applicants, the regional 
authority shall impose on the applicant the obligation to report any changes that might 
affect the adoption or foster care to the regional authority within 15 days. 
 
(7) The regional authority shall report on whether the applicant has been included in the 
register of applicants to, 
a) the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers, 
b) the founders of the foster care facility if the applicant comes under the provisions of 
Article 21, paragraph 5, clause j) excepting where the founder is a municipality in which 
the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers is based at the place 
where the applicant offered to provide foster care, 
within 15 days of the decision to include him/her in the register of applicants having 
taken effect. 
 
(8) If the regional authority does not arrange an adoption or foster care 
a) within 3 calendar months of the child being included into the register of children, or 
b) within 3 years from the day the decision to include the applicant in the register of 
applicants has taken effect, 
within 15 days of the periods set out above, it shall send a copy of the data from these 
records to the Ministry to be included in the Ministry adoption and foster care records. 
 
(9) The regional authority shall inform 
a) the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers that it has send a 
copy 
of the information 
1. from the child's and applicant's records to the Ministry in accordance with paragraph 8, 
2. contained in the Office's register of applicants in accordance with paragraph 4, 
b) the applicant that it has sent a copy of the information from the register of applicants to 
the Ministry 
within 15 days of the day these copies were sent. 
 
(10) At any point during the period the child is entered on the register of children or the 
applicant entered on the register of applicants, the regional authority can check whether 
any changes have occurred that might affect the arrangements for adoption or foster care, 
                                                 
 

and, in particular, it is empowered to carry out a new expert report on the child or the 
applicant pursuant to Article 27. 
 
 
Article 23 
Ministry records on adoption and foster care arrangements 
 
(1) For the purpose of arranging adoptions or foster care, the Ministry maintains a 
register of children and a register of applicants.  The Ministry includes children in the 
register of children and applicants in the register of applicants on the basis of information 
sent to the Ministry by the regional authority in accordance with Article 22, paragraph 8, 
within 3 days of the day on which it received the data from the regional authority. 
 
(2) The register of children and the register of applicants held by the Ministry contain the 
information listed in Article 22, paragraphs 2 and 3. 
 
(3) If the Ministry is not able to arrange adoption or foster care 
a) within 3 calendar months of the child's inclusion in the Ministry's register of children, 
or 
b) within 6 calendar months of the applicant's inclusion in the Ministry's register of 
applicants, 
it will send a copy of the information from these records to the Office to be included in 
the register for intercountry adoption.  Only if the applicant gives his/her consent in 
accordance with Article 21, paragraph 5, clause f) point 1, will the Ministry send the 
information on the applicant to the Office.  The Ministry shall inform the regional 
authority that copies of the records have been sent within 3 days of this having been done. 
 
(4) The Ministry shall continue to maintain records of children and applicants even after 
it has sent copies of these records to the Office in accordance with paragraph 3. 
 
Article 24 
Adoption and foster care arrangements by the regional authority 
 
(1) The regional authority looks for applicants from the register of applicants held by the 
regional authority and from the register of applicants held by the Ministry for children 
entered in the register of that regional authority in order to arrange an adoption or foster 
care.  While arranging an adoption or foster care, the regional authority will take account 
of the recommendations of the advisory board as set out in Article 38a. 
 
(2) Should the regional authority discover that its register of applicants or the register of 
applicants maintained by the Ministry, contains a suitable applicant to adopt or foster a 
child who is entered in the register of children held by this regional authority, it will 
immediately send written notice to 
a) the applicant, 
b) the founders of the foster care facility if the applicant is covered by the provisions of 
Article 21, paragraph 5, clause j), 

c) the Ministry if the applicant is included in the records held by the Ministry, 
d) the Office, if the applicant is included in the records held by the Office, 
e) the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers. 
 
(3) On the basis of a written notification by the regional authority in accordance with 
paragraph 2, clause a), the applicant has the right to meet the child and the person 
responsible for the child is obliged to facilitate this meeting.  The applicant is able to 
meet the child and to submit a request for the child to be placed in his/her care as a future 
adoptive parent or future foster parent within 30 days of the day he/she received written 
notice from the regional authority in accordance with paragraph 2. 
 
(4) The regional authority may also propose options for adoption or foster care to the 
Ministry when the children involved are included in the register of children held by the 
Ministry.  The Ministry shall respond to these suggestions.  The first and second sentence 
above also apply if the child is on the register of children held by the Office. 
 
Article 24a 
Adoption and foster care arrangements by the Ministry 
 
(1) The Ministry looks for applicants from those applicants entered in the Ministry 
register in order to arrange an adoption or foster care for children entered in the Ministry 
register.  While arranging an adoption or foster care, the Ministry will take account of the 
recommendations of the advisory board as set forth in Article 38b. 
 
(2) Should the Ministry discover that its register of applicants contains a suitable 
applicant to adopt or foster a child who is entered in the register of children held by the 
Ministry, it will immediately send written notice to 
a) the applicant, 
b) the regional authority, 
c) the founders of the foster care facility if the applicant is covered by the provisions of 
Article 21, paragraph 5, clause j), 
d) the Office, if the applicant is included in the records held by the Office, 
e) the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers. 
 
(3) The Ministry shall immediately make an entry in its register of applicants, noting the 
date on which the applicant was sent notice that he/she had been matched as a suitable 
adoptive or foster parent, in accordance with paragraph 2, clause a). 
 
(4) ) On the basis of a written notification by the Ministry in accordance with paragraph 2, 
clause a), the applicant has the right to meet the child and the person responsible for the 
child is obliged to facilitate this meeting.   The provisions of Article 24, paragraph 3, 
second sentence also apply here. 
 
(5) If the Ministry arranged for a child who was on the Ministry registry, while at the 
same time being on the register of children available for adoption abroad, to be adopted 

or placed in foster care, the Ministry is obliged to notify the Office of this fact without 
delay. 
 
(6) Article 22, paragraph 10 also applies to the expert review. 
 
Article 24b 
Interrupting arrangements for adoption or foster care by the regional authority or the 
Ministry 
 
(1) Arrangements for adoption or foster care will be interrupted if 
a) the applicant submits a written request to interrupt the proceedings, and for the length 
of time entered in the request, 
b) the applicant received written notice from the regional authority in accordance with 
Article 24, paragraph 2, or from the Ministry in accordance with Article 24a, paragraph 2 
that there is a child in the register for whom he/she is a suitable adoptive or foster parent, 
for the period lasting from the day the written notice referred to above was sent to the day 
arrangements are finalized by the regional authority in accordance with Article 24, 
paragraph 3, or by the Ministry in accordance with Article 24a, paragraph 4, or to the day 
of the decision to place the child into care in accordance with clause c), or 
c) on the basis of a decision by the municipal authority or a municipality with extended 
powers, the child has been placed in the care of his/her future adoptive parent or into the 
care of a natural person who wishes to foster him/her, for the length of time this care 
continues, or 
d) during the period the regional authority is arranging the adoption or foster care for the 
applicant in accordance with Article 24, or during the period the Ministry is arranging the 
adoption or foster care for the applicant in accordance with Article 24a, they learn of 
serious facts, pursuant to Article 22, paragraph 10, preventing them from arranging the 
adoption or foster care during a transitional period.  
 
(2) The period during which the adoption or foster care arrangements are interrupted are 
not included in the periods set forth in Article 22, paragraph 8 and Article 23, paragraph 3.  
The regional authority, if it interrupted its adoption or foster care arrangements, or the 
Ministry, if it interrupted its adoption or foster care arrangements, shall issue a decision 
on the interruption of the adoption or foster care arrangements in accordance with 
paragraph 1, clause d). 
 
(3) The applicant is obliged to enter a reason for requesting that the adoption or foster 
care arrangements be interrupted in the request referred to in paragraph 1, clause a).  If 
the applicant is entered in the register of applicants held by the regional authority, he/she 
shall send the request to the regional authority.  If the applicant is entered in the register 
held by the Ministry, while at the same time being entered in the register for international 
adoptions held by the Office, he/she shall send the request to each of the bodies holding 
these registers. 
 
(4) Notice of the date on which the decision to place the child in the care of his/her future 
adoptive parents or into the care of a natural person who wishes to foster him/her comes 

into force, must be sent for the purpose of terminating the adoption or foster care 
arrangements 
a) by the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers to the regional 
authority 
b) by the regional authority, immediately it receives notification of the date from the 
municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers, to the Ministry or to the 
Office if either the child or the applicant is entered in the registers held by the Ministry of 
the Office. 
 
Article 24c 
Removal from the register of children or the register of applicants held by the regional 
authority 
 
(1) The regional authority 
a) shall remove the child from its register of children 
1. on the basis of a decision approving the adoption or the placement of the child in foster 
care, 
2. if it discovers good cause preventing the child from being adopted or placed in foster 
care, or 
3. at the end of the period set forth in Article 22, paragraph 8, clause a) and after sending 
a copy of the extract from the register of children to the Ministry, 
b) shall remove the applicant from its register of applicants 
1. on the basis of a decision approving the adoption or the placement of the child in foster 
care, provided the applicant does not apply to adopt or foster another child, 
2. if it discovers good cause preventing the applicant from adopting or fostering a child, 
3. if the applicant grossly violates his/her obligation to inform of any changes that would 
prevent him/her from adopting or fostering a child, 
4. if the applicant so requests, or 
5. at the end of the period set forth in Article 22, paragraph 8, clause b) and after sending 
a copy of the extract from the register of applicants to the Ministry, 
c) the applicant can be removed from the register of applicants if he/she has not attended 
preparation courses to for receiving a child into the family, which he/she was invited to 
attend. 
 
(2) The regional authority shall only issue a decision to remove the applicant from the 
register of applicants in cases set forth in paragraph 1, clause b) points 2 and 3 and 
paragraph 1, clause c).  In other cases, the regional authority shall inform applicants 
removed from the register of applicants in writing. 
 
(3) Within 15 days of the date on which the decision to remove the applicant from the 
register of applicants came into force, the regional authority shall send notice of this 
removal to the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers and if the 
applicant falls under the provisions of Article 21, paragraph 5, clause j), shall also inform 
the founders of the foster care facility, with the exception of the situation where the 
founder is the municipality in which the municipal authority of the municipality with 
extended powers is located, where the applicant applied for an adoption. 

 
(4) For the purpose of removing the applicant from the register, the date on which the 
decision on the adoption or foster care came into force must be notified by 
a) the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers to the regional 
authority, 
b) the regional authority shall, immediately on receiving the information from the 
municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers, inform the Ministry if the 
child or the applicant are entered in the Ministry registers. 
 
Article 24d 
 
Removal from the register of children or the register of applicants held by the Ministry 
(1) The Ministry  
a) shall remove a child from its register for the reasons set forth in Article 24c, paragraph 
1, clause a, points 1 and 2,  
b) shall remove an applicant from its register for the reasons set forth in Article 24c, 
paragraph 1, clause b), points 1 to 4, 
c) may remove an applicant from its register of applicants for the reasons set forth in 
Article 24c, paragraph 1, clause c). 
 
(2) Article 24c, paragraph 2 also applies to decisions issued by the Ministry concerning 
the removal of an applicant from the register of applicants. 
 
(3) Within 15 days of the date on which the decision to remove the applicant from the 
register of applicants came into force, the Ministry shall send written notice of this 
removal to 
a) the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers, 
b) to the regional authority, 
c) to the Office in cases where the applicant is also entered in the register in accordance 
with Article 25, paragraph 1, 
d) to the founders of a foster care facility in the case of an applicant who falls under the 
provisions of Article 21, paragraph 5, clause j), except where the founder is the 
municipality where the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers is 
located, where the applicant requested the adoption. 
 
(4) The Ministry shall inform the Office that the child has been removed from the register 
of children and the reason for this removal in the case of a child who is entered in the 
register under the provisions of Article 25, paragraph 2.  The Ministry shall also inform 
the regional authority that the child has been removed from the register. 
 
Article 25 
Adoptions arranged by the Office 
 
(1) The Office keeps the following registers for adoption purposes 
a) children complying with the provisions of Article 2, paragraph 2, who are suitable for 
adoption abroad, 

b) children who are suitable for adoption in the Czech Republic, who do not have right of 
permanent residence on the territory of the Czech Republic or who have a visa 
authorizing them to stay on the territory of the Czech Republic for a period of at least 90 
days pursuant to special legal provisions 1a) regulating the residence of aliens on the 
territory of the Czech Republic and are not authorized pursuant to special legal provisions 
2) to reside permanently on the territory of the Czech Republic, 
c) applicants suitable to adopt children pursuant to clause b), 
d) natural persons suitable to adopt children pursuant to clause a), provided these persons 
are not authorised to reside permanently on the territory of the Czech Republic and do not 
have a visa authorizing them to stay on the territory of the Czech Republic for a period of 
at least 365 days pursuant to special legal provisions 1a) regulating the residence of aliens 
on the territory of the Czech Republic. 
 
(2) Children mentioned 
a) in paragraph 1, clause a) are recorded on the basis of a report by the Ministry (Article 
23, paragraph 3), 
b) in paragraph 1, clause b) are recorded on the basis of a report from State bodies of the 
Czech Republic or State bodies or other organizations of foreign states empowered by 
their states to arrange intercountry adoptions.  The Office shall inform these organs or 
organizations that a child mentioned in paragraph 1, clause b) has been entered into the 
register. 
 
(3) Applicants mentioned in paragraph 1, clause c) and natural persons mentioned in 
paragraph 1, clause d) are included in the register on the basis of a decision by the Office.  
A person suitable to adopt a child who falls under the provisions of paragraph 1, clause b) 
cannot be included in the register if, although they satisfy the conditions for  residence on 
the territory of the Czech Republic pursuant to Article 20, paragraph 1, their normal 
residence can be proved to lie outside the territory of the Czech Republic. 
 
(4) The Office shall remove from the register 
a) a child, applicant or person mentioned in paragraph 1, clause d) whose adoption has 
been completed, on the day on which the adoption decision was made; 
b) an applicant or person mentioned in paragraph 1, clause d), 
1. if good reason is found that makes him/her unsuitable to adopt, 
2. if the applicant or aforementioned person grossly violates their obligation to provide all 
information that affects this registration, or 
3. if the applicant or the aforementioned person request it; 
c) a child if the organ or organization mentioned in paragraph 2, clause b), request it. 
 
(5) The Office shall only issue a decision to remove a name from the register in cases 
concerning applicants and persons mentioned in paragraph 1, clause d), unless they are 
removed from the register because the adoption has been finalized.  The Office shall send 
the Ministry a decision concerning the removal of applicants and persons mentioned in 
                                                 
 
 
 

paragraph 1, clause d); the Office shall inform the organs or organizations mentioned in 
paragraph 2, clause b) and the Ministry of the removal of a child mentioned in paragraph 
1, clause b). 
 
(6) Article 22, paragraphs 2, 3, 6 and 10 applies when keeping records on whether the 
child concerned is covered by paragraph 1, clause a), or the person mentioned in 
paragraph 1, clause c). 
 
(7) In the case of children who are also included in the register of children available for 
intercountry adoption or the register of children available for adoption in the Czech 
Republic (paragraph 1, clauses a) and b)), or in the case of an applicant mentioned in 
paragraph 1, clause c), the Office shall interrupt the adoption procedure for the period set 
forth in Article 24b, paragraph 1. 
 
(8) For the purposes of maintaining the Office's records, the regional authority shall 
a) provide any data required by the Office and complete the documentation on children 
available for intercountry adoption or on applicants suitable to adopt children from 
abroad, 
b) investigate the conditions in which the child is living, at the request of the Office, if 
the child was adopted in the Czech Republic on the basis of an intercountry adoption 
procedures, or who is due to be adopted from abroad and is now in the care of his/her 
future adoptive parents in the Czech Republic, 
c) to inform the Office without delay of the date on which the decision on adoption came 
into force. 
 
(9) In cases where children are adopted abroad, the Office shall notify 
a) the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers, 
b) the competent registry office pursuant to special legal provisions 23a), 
c) the regional authority and 
d) the Ministry. 
 
Article 26 
 
Article 24 paragraphs 1 and 3 apply to adoption procedures handled by the Office if these 
adoptions take place within the Czech Republic. 
 
Article 27 
Expert review for the purpose of arranging adoptions and foster care 
 
(1) For the purpose of arranging adoptions and foster care the expert review includes 
a) assessing the child and the applicant pursuant to paragraph 2, 
b) evaluating the preparations to receive the child into the family, including special 
preparations for receiving a foster child for a temporary period (Article 11, paragraph 2), 
                                                 
23a Article 2, paragraph 1, clause a) of Act no. 301/2000 Coll., on Registers, Names and Surnames and on 
amendments to a number of Acts, as amended 

c) the views of the applicant's children on the arrival of the adopted child or the child 
placed in foster care, if they are capable of expressing such views given their age and 
intellectual maturity, 
d) assessing the ability of children living in the applicant's household to accept a child 
into the family, 
e) establishing the integrity of the applicant, his/her spouse, partner, child and other 
persons living with the applicant in the same household; for these purposes a person who 
has been convicted of a criminal offence against life, health, human dignity, moral 
development or a child's property, or for any other criminal offence that might affect the 
capacity of the applicant to bring the child up properly, shall not be deemed to have 
integrity, 
f) concerning applicants for inclusion in the register of persons suitable to act as 
temporary foster parents, an assessment of their ability to care for children with special 
needs and the ability to cooperate with the parents of these children is made. 
 
(2) For the purposes of arranging adoptions and foster care  
a) children 
1. the child's level of physical and mental development is assessed, including his/her 
specific needs and demands, 
2. the suitability and type of substitute family care is assessed; 
b) in applicants, an assessment is made of their personal characteristics, psychological 
state, state of health, which includes an assessment of whether the state of mental, 
physical and sensory health of the applicant would prevent long-term care of the child, 
their ideas on how to bring up the child, the reasons for their application for adoption or 
foster care, the stability of their marital relations and the family environment, or other 
facts that might affect the child's adoption or placement in foster care. 
 
The Ministry shall make the assessment within 30 days from the day on which all the 
necessary facts had been collected. 
(3) The expert review shall be carried out by 
a) the regional authority if the child or applicant is being included in the register of 
children or applicants held by the regional authority, and before including them in this 
register, or if they are in the register of children or in the register of applicants kept by the 
regional authority, 
b) the Ministry if the child or applicant are in the register of children or the register of 
applicants held by the Ministry. 
 
(4) The Ministry and regional authority are authorized to invite the applicant and the 
natural persons mentioned in Article 25, paragraph 1, clause d) for personal interview in 
order to assess their assumptions and the facts that will decide on whether they will be 
entrusted with a child.  Meanwhile, the Ministry and regional authority shall cooperate 
with municipal authorities of municipalities with extended powers, municipalities, 
medical and educational facilities and other specialized facilities, empowered persons and 
specialists in issues concerning the upbringing and care of children. 
 

(5) Employees of the Ministry and employees of the regional authority may, for the 
purpose of preparing the documentation for the expert review pursuant to paragraph 2, 
visit the child or invite the child for interview, if this is suitable having regard to his/her 
age and abilities.  Legal entities or natural persons with responsibility for the child are 
obliged to facilitate this visit from the employees of the Ministry and employees of the 
regional authority, to allow the child to attend the aforementioned interview and the child 
to be assessed. 
 
(6) Paragraphs 2 to 5 apply to the drawing up of the opinion of the Ministry and the 
regional authority pursuant to Article 18. 
 
CHAPTER V 
TEMPORARY FOSTER CARE 
 
Article 27a 
 
(1) For the purpose of providing temporary foster care for children pursuant to special 
legal provisions 23b), the regional authority keeps a register of persons who can provide 
temporary foster care.  Individuals are included in the register on the basis of an 
application submitted to the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers. 
Once the application has been completed and the data and documentation listed in 
paragraph attached, the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers is 
obliged to send the application without delay to the regional authority. 
 
(2) Individuals who are judged on the basis of an expert review to have the capacity to 
provide this type of child care, particularly in view of the short-term nature of this care 
and the care of children shortly after their birth, are included in the register of persons 
able to provide temporary foster care. 
 
(3) The records contain 
a) the applicant's personal details listed in Article 21, paragraph 5, clause a), 
b) documents mentioned in Article 21, paragraph 5, clauses b) to e) and h), 
c) written consent to the right of the regional authority at any time 
1. to ascertain additional information to be included in the register of persons able to 
provide temporary foster care, 
2. to discover whether any of the facts mentioned in the application have changed, 
d) the opinion of the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers on the 
application to include the applicant in the register. 
 
(4) The expert review of the applicant shall be carried on the basis of the application 
submitted pursuant to paragraph 3; Article 27 also applies to the expert review of the 
applicant. 
 
(5) The regional authority shall decide whether to include the applicant in the register 
mentioned in paragraph 1 and his/her removal from this register or that the applicant 
                                                 
23b Article 45a, paragraph 2 of the Family Act 

should not be included in the register.  The regional authority shall send24 a copy of the 
decision mentioned in the previous sentence to the municipal authority of a municipality 
with extended powers.  Articles 22 to 24c apply to keeping records of the inclusion of the 
applicant in the register and his/her removal from it. 
 
(6) The regional authority shall hand a copy of the list of persons included in the register 
of persons able to provide temporary foster care, including the information listed in 
paragraph 3, to the Ministry and municipal authorities of municipalities with extended 
powers in its administrative district.  The regional authority is obliged to update this list 
without delay to reflect any changes that have occurred in accordance with paragraph 1, 
and also to inform the Ministry and the aforementioned municipal authorities of 
municipalities with extended powers of these additions. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
INSTITUTIONAL CARE AND PROTECTIVE CUSTODY 
 
Article 28 
 
After a court decision to order institutional custody has come into force, the municipal 
authority of a municipality with extended powers arranges a time and a place for the child 
to be admitted to the appropriate facility for his/her institutional custody; meanwhile it 
also invites the parents or other natural persons responsible for the child's upbringing to 
ensure that they hand the child over to the appropriate facility at the proper time, or to 
acquire their consent to the child arriving alone. Should the parents or other natural 
persons responsible for the child's upbringing not submit to the decision of the court, the 
municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers shall submit a petition for 
execution to the court 24). 
 
Article 29 
Monitoring the performance of institutional care and protective custody 
 
(1) The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers shall monitor 
whether the rights of the child are respected in educational facilities for institutional care 
and protective custody 26), in social welfare institutions 27) and in special children's 
medical facilities28) and in similar institutions (facilities), which have been established by 
legal and natural persons under special legal provisions (hereinafter "institutional 
facilities"); and shall monitor in particular the development of the children's mental and 
physical abilities, to establish whether reasons still remain for them to remain in the 
institutional facility, and establish how relations between the children and their parents 
                                                 
 
24 Articles 272 to 273a of the Civil Procedure Code 
26 Article 23 and following of Act no. 76/1978 on School Facilities, as amended 
27 Article 73 of Act no. 100/1988 Coll, as amended 
    Article 61 and following of Decree no. 182/1991 Coll., implementing the Act on Social Welfare and the         
Act on the competence of organs of the Czech Republic in social welfare, as amended 
28 Article 38 of Act no. 20/1966 Coll., on Health Care for the Population 

are developing. The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers shall act 
to ensure that siblings are placed in institutional facilities together. 
 
(2) Employees of municipalities with extended powers working in the municipal 
authority are obliged 
a) to visit children who were ordered into institutional custody or enforced protective 
custody at least once every 3 months, 
b) to visit the parents of a child who was ordered into institutional custody or enforced 
protective custody at least once every 3 months, 
c) to visit a child mentioned in Article 10a, paragraph 1 immediately after learning of the 
situation and then according to the needs of the child, on the basis of a special 
authorization issued by the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers, 
bearing the employee's name or names and surname, title, employer and a description of 
the activities this employee can perform. 
 
(3) Employees of municipalities with extended powers working in the municipal 
authority have the right to talk to the child without the presence of other people, 
particularly employees of the institutional facility, and have the right to inspect the 
documentation the institutional facility keeps on the child. 
 
(4) Should an employee of a municipality with extended powers working in the 
municipal authority discover that the institutional facility violated its obligations arising 
from this Act or special legal provisions, he/she is obliged to inform the municipal 
authority of the municipality with extended powers of this fact without delay and the 
founders of the institutional facility, or the body that oversees the founders and the court 
that ordered institutional care or protective custody; this does not affect the obligations 
arising from special legal regulations 6). 
 
(5) If the employee of the municipality with extended powers has reported that an 
institutional facility has acted in breach of its obligations, the competent municipal 
authority of the municipality with extended powers shall monitor whether the 
deficiencies that have been discovered are removed and acts to ensure that the necessary 
measures are adopted to improve the situation. 
 
(6) Institutional facilities are obliged 
a) to allow employees of the municipality with extended powers working in the 
municipal authority access to the institutional facility and to provide them with the 
necessary papers, documents or reports relating to the child and to his/her parents, 
provided the institutional facility has these available, 
b) to allow the employee of the municipality with extended powers working in the 
municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers contact with the child who 
was ordered into institutional custody or enforced protective custody, 
c) to inform the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers without 
delay of any child who might be suitable for adoption or to be placed with a foster family, 
                                                 
 

d) to forward without delay a written submission from the child addressed to the court, to 
the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers, other government 
bodies or an empowered person without checking its contents, 
e) to request written consent from the municipal authority of the municipality with 
extended powers to a visit by the child pursuant to Article 30, 
f) to inform the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers of the 
impending release of the child from the institutional facility, 
g) to inform the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers and the 
court that ordered the institutional custody or imposed the protective custody that the 
child has run away from the institutional facility and that the child has been transferred to 
another institutional facility. 
 
(7) An employee of the region or the Ministry may also visit the institutional facility 
mentioned in paragraph 1.  Paragraphs 3 to 6 also apply to an employee of the region or 
the ministry and paragraph 2 applies likewise to the obligation to have special authority 
to visit the institutional facility.  The regional authority shall issue the authorization for 
regional employees and the Ministry shall issue the authorization for ministerial 
employees. 
 
Article 30 
Visiting rights outside the institution 
 
(1) The Director of the institutional facility may only allow a child who has been placed 
in the institutional facility as a precaution or who has been placed in protective custody 
on the basis of a court order to visit his/her parents or other natural persons on receipt of 
prior written approval from the municipal authority of the municipality with extended 
powers and for a maximum of 14 calendar days during the first visit to these people.  This 
period of stay with these people, with the exception of cases when the court issued an 
order for protective custody, may be extended on receipt of written approval by the 
municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers.  If the child was placed in 
this institutional facility on the request of his/her parents or other legal representatives, 
this type of stay can only be allowed with other natural persons on receipt of written 
consent from the parents or other legal representatives, unless obtaining this consent 
would entail substantial difficulty. 
 
(2) Written consent from the municipal authority of the municipality with extended 
powers pursuant to paragraph 1, shall designate the person with whom the child will stay, 
the length of time the child will remain outside the institution for which the consent was 
given and the address at which the child will be staying. 
 
(3) When issuing written consent to the child staying away from the institution pursuant 
to paragraph 1, the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers shall 
primarily take account of the family and social environment in which the child will stay.  
In the event the child will stay with natural persons other than his/her parents, 
grandparents or siblings, their integrity shall be assessed on the basis of Article 27, 
paragraph 1, clause e).  For the purpose of giving its consent, the municipal authority of 

the municipality with extended powers may request that the regional authority provide an 
expert assessment of the natural person other than the parents with whom the child will 
stay, and request that they attach an extract of their entry in the Penal Register.  Article 
27 also applies with regard to expert assessments. 
 
(4) The regional authority shall draw up an expert report on other natural persons in 
accordance with paragraph 3. 
 
(5) If the child's permanent residence is different from the parents´ permanent residence 
or that of the other natural persons with whom the child will stay, the municipal authority 
of the municipality with extended powers may issue written consent pursuant to 
paragraph 1 only on the basis of an opinion from another competent municipal authority 
of a municipality with extended powers (Article 61, paragraph 3, clause c)). 
 
CHAPTER VII 
CARE OF CHILDREN REQUIRING ADDITIONAL ATTENTION 
 
Article 31 
 
Care for children mentioned in Article 6, paragraph 1 consists of providing assistance to 
overcome disadvantageous social conditions and educational influences, in order to allow 
them to reintegrate into society, and to find work. 
 
Article 32 
 
(1) In caring for children mentioned in Article 6 paragraph 1, the municipal authority 
a) shall focus its attention on occupying these children during their free time, 
b) shall focus its attention on children seeking relations with natural persons or groups of 
these individuals who indulge in alcoholic beverages or addictive substances or who 
commit criminal offences, 
c) shall monitor any evidence of intolerance or violent tendencies in the children, 
d) shall devote its attention to children of parents living at a low social level, 
e) shall prevent the emergence of detrimental social and educational influences amongst 
other groups of children, 
f) shall provide children with programmes to occupy their free time, with regard to the 
interests of these children and to their abilities, 
g) shall cooperate with schools, empowered persons, interest groups and other subjects. 
 
(2) Regarding care for children in accordance with Article 6, paragraph 1, the municipal 
authority of the municipality with extended powers  
a) shall act to prevent recurrent disturbed behaviour and activities of  children, paying 
particular attention to offenders who have committed criminal offences, 
b) shall warn regional authorities of the need to help children who have left school to find 
opportunities for continuing to train for employment, particularly in the case of children 
who have been released from institutional custody, protective custody, or from a prison 
sentence, 

c) shall work together with the Labour Offices to find suitable employment for these 
children, 
d) shall guide the care given to these children following the care programmes for groups 
of problem children that have been drawn up by Government bodies, municipalities, 
empowered persons and other legal entities and natural persons, 
e) shall help children to overcome problems that might lead to negative displays in their 
behaviour. 
 
(3) With regard to the child care mentioned in Article 6, paragraph 1, employees of 
municipalities with extended powers employed at the municipal authority of the 
municipality with extended powers  
a) maintain personal relations with the child, his/her parents or the persons responsible 
for his/her upbringing, 
b) select the means to influence children in order to act on them effectively depending on 
the type and nature of the child's behavioural problems and his/her social standing, 
c) resolve the child's problems, where appropriate, in the child's everyday environment. 
 
Article 33 
 
(1) Pursuant to the Juvenile Justice Act 29), the competent socio-legal protection body is 
the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers. 
 
(2) Pursuant to the Act on Misdemeanours31), the competent socio-legal protection body 
is the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers; if a juvenile is 
charged with a misdemeanour, an employee of the municipality with extended powers 
who works at the municipal authority shall attend the oral proceedings. 
 
Article 34 
 
(1) The municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers shall cooperate 
with prisons 32) to resolve the social and educational problems of children mentioned in 
Article 6, paragraph 1. 
(2) On request, the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers shall 
issue a report, pursuant to a special legal regulation33) 
a) on the form and content of the child's preparation for a future trade provided by the 
prison, 
b) whether it is in the child's interest for a convicted or accused woman to care for 
him/her in the prison, and 
c) to extend the period during which the prison sentence of the convicted woman is 
suspended to enable her to visit the child. 
                                                 
29 Act no. 218/2003 Coll., on the responsibility of juveniles for illegal acts and on Juvenile Justice and on 
amendments to various Acts (Juvenile Justice Act) 
31 Article 74, paragraph 2, Article 81, paragraph 1 and Article 92, paragraph 1 of Act no. 200/1990 Coll. 
32 Article 5 of Act no. 169/1999 Coll., on Imprisonment and on amendments to related Acts. 
Article 15 of Act no. 293/1993 Coll., on Detention. 
33 Article 61, paragraph 6, Article 67, paragraphs 2 and 4 and Article 68 of Act no. 169/1999 Coll. 

 
(3) At least once every 3 months, the employee of the municipality with extended powers 
employed at the municipal authority shall visit a child, 
a) who is in prison or detained, and discuss with him/her in particular the possibilities of 
employment or preparation for a future trade or employment after the term of 
imprisonment or detention, 
b) who is cared for by a convicted or accused woman in the prison. 
 
(4) When visiting the prison, the employee of a municipality with extended powers 
employed at the municipal authority is authorized to inspect the documentation relating to 
the preparation of the convicted juvenile for a future trade, or to a child who is cared for 
in prison by a convicted or accused woman, and to the care this woman is providing for 
the child. 
 
(5) Prisons 32) shall allow employees of a municipality with extended powers employed 
at the municipal authority access to the prison, enable them to inspect the documentation 
pursuant to paragraph 4, and allow contact between this employee and the child who is 
imprisoned or detained, and with the child who is cared for in prison by a convicted or 
detained woman.  The municipality with extended powers shall issue the employee with a 
special authorization to enable the employee of the municipality with extended powers 
for these visits, bearing the name or names and surname of the employee, the title, name 
of the employer and a description of the activities this employee is authorized to perform. 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
SOCIO-LEGAL PROTECTION IN FOREIGN MATTERS 
 
Article 35 
(1) The Office shall provide socio-legal protection in foreign matters, where these 
concern 
a) children mentioned in Article 2, paragraph 2, 
b) children who are citizens of the Czech Republic and are not permanently resident on 
its territory, 
c) children who are not citizens of the Czech Republic and are not authorized to reside 
permanently on its territory, or do not have a visa authorizing them to stay on the territory 
of the Czech Republic for a period of at least 90 days pursuant to special legal provisions 
1a) regulating the residence of aliens on the territory of the Czech Republic and cannot 
remain on its territory, if his/her parents or another natural person having alimentary 
duties towards this child do remain in the Czech Republic. 
 
(2) In providing this socio-legal protection for foreign matters, the Office  
a) acts as a Receiving and a Transmitting Agency and the Central Authority for 
implementing international conventions and for the purpose of declaring reciprocity 
pursuant to a special legal regulation 33a) as well as fulfilling other duties for the Czech 
                                                 
 
 
33a Article 54 of Act no. 97/1963 Coll., on International Private and Procedural Law, as amended 

Republic, arising from international conventions that concern the socio-legal protection 
of children34), 
b) acts as guardian for children, 
c) requests reports on the situation of children who are citizens of the Czech Republic and 
are not permanently resident on its territory from the competent bodies and other legal 
entities and natural persons, at the request of the parents living in the Czech Republic or 
the socio-legal protection bodies, 
d) arranges to send personal documents and other papers abroad and receives documents 
and other papers sent from abroad,  
e) cooperates with government bodies or other organizations in other countries with 
similar powers to the Office, provided they are properly empowered by their country to 
perform acts of socio-legal protection, and, where appropriate, also with other bodies, 
facilities and legal entities, 
f) helps to search for the child's parents if these parents, or one of them, live abroad, 
calculates their property and financial standing for the purposes of establishing alimony, 
files court petitions for the performance of maintenance obligations, particularly petitions 
to regulate maintenance obligations, custody and to determine paternity, 
g) for the purposes of foreigners adopting from abroad and for the purposes of adopting 
children from abroad, determines the social environment and family situation in which 
the child is living, 
h) performs tasks arising from the adoption procedure and negotiates with the competent 
bodies and natural and legal persons where required to fulfil the tasks falling to the Office 
pursuant to this Act, 
i) approves the adoption of children from abroad, 
j) helps to search for relatives of a child who has petitioned for asylum proceedings 
pursuant to a special regulation and is on the territory of the Czech Republic without 
being accompanied by a person over the age of 18 who is responsible for the child in 
accordance with the legislation in force in the country of which the child is a citizen, or in 
cases where the child has no nationality, in the country where he/she last resided34a), 
k) cooperates on matters concerning parental responsibility in accordance with the 
directly applicable regulations of the European Community 34c). 
 
(3) The Office does not require approval from the Office for the Protection of Personal 
Data to deliver and transmit personal data to other countries, pursuant to a special legal 
regulation 34b). 
 
                                                 
34 For example, Decree no. 33/1959 Coll., on the Convention on Recovery of Maintenance Abroad, Decree 
no. 14/1975 Coll., on the Convention concerning the Recognition and Enforcement of Decisions relating to 
Maintenance Obligations towards Children, Decree no. 132/1976 Coll., on the Convention on the 
Recognition and Enforcement of Decisions relating to Maintenance Obligations, notification no. 34/1998 
Coll., Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. 
34a Article 19 paragraph 3, Council Directive 2003/9/EC, dated January 27th 2003, which sets minimum 
norms for accepting asylum seekers. 
34c Articles 53 and 58 of Council Regulation no. 2201/2003 concerning jurisdiction and the recognition and 
enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and in matters of parental responsibility.  
34b Article 27 of Act no. 101/2000 Coll., on the Protection of Personal Data and Amendments to some 
related Acts, as amended by Act no. 177/2001 Coll. 

Article 35a 
 
The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers issues the child's legal 
representative a confirmation that the child is alive and in the care of his/her legal 
representative for the purposes of enforcing the child's right to maintenance from the 
liable person living abroad; this confirmation is issued by the municipal authority of a 
municipality with extended powers on receipt of a request from the legal representative. 
 
Article 36 
 
Ensuring the return of unaccompanied children from abroad 
(1) The Czech Republic's foreign representation offices shall inform 
a) the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers, or 
b) the Ministry, if the address of the child's permanent residence in the Czech Republic is 
unknown, 
that a child mentioned in Article 2, paragraph 2 is on the territory of a foreign country, 
unaccompanied by his/her parents or another person responsible for the child, and to 
arrange the child's return to the territory of the Czech Republic; it will also provide 
information on when, where and with whom the child will be returned to the territory of 
the Czech Republic. 
 
(2) The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers shall adopt the 
necessary measures to take charge of the child and shall also inform the foreign 
representation office who will take charge of the child on his/her return to the territory of 
the Czech Republic; it can also decide that the child will be collected from abroad. 
 
(3) On the child's return, he/she shall be handed over to the charge of 
a) the child's parent or another natural person responsible for his/her upbringing; if they 
are not able or willing to take charge of the child, he/she will be placed in the charge of 
the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers, 
b) a facility competent to take charge of a runaway child pursuant to a special 
regulation35), if the child was ordered into institutional care or protective custody. 
 
(4) Any expenses relating to taking charge of the child on the territory of the Czech 
Republic shall be covered by 
a) the parent or other natural person responsible for the child's upbringing and who is 
obliged to take charge of the child, 
b) the institutional facility mentioned in paragraph 3, clause b), or 
c) the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers in the event that these 
costs were not covered by the parent, the other person responsible for the child's 
upbringing or the institutional facility.  In these cases, the municipal authority of the 
municipality with extended powers may require that these costs be reimbursed by the 
persons or facility mentioned hereabove. 
 
                                                 
35 Article 12, paragraph 5 of Public Notice no. 64/1981 Coll., on school facilities for the carrying out of 
institutional and protective education 

(5)  If this is a case referred to in paragraph 1, clause b), the Ministry shall determine 
which municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers shall take the 
measures set forth in paragraphs 2 to 4. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
SOCIO-LEGAL PROTECTION IN SPECIAL CASES 
 
Article 37 
 
(1) The municipal authority shall take measures to protect the life and health and to 
ensure that the most urgent basic needs are met, including health care 36) for a child 
mentioned in Article 2, paragraph 3, if no care is provided for this child, or it his/her 
normal development is seriously threatened or disrupted. 
 
(2) The municipal authority shall inform the municipal authority of a municipality with 
extended powers, which is obliged to take further essential measures to protect the child, 
of the measures set forth in paragraph 1 as soon as possible and, if possible, to inform the 
representative authority of the country of which the child is a citizen of these facts 
without delay; at the same time, it shall discuss with it ways in which the child can be 
returned to his/her parents or other persons who are responsible for the child.  The 
municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers shall inform the Office of the 
facts set forth in the first sentence. 
 
(3) The essential measures to be taken by the municipal authority of a municipality with 
extended powers include 
a) submitting a petition for the adoption of temporary measures 13), 
b) submitting a petition for the appointment of a guardian or curator for the child, 
c) submitting a petition for the child to be placed in an institution37), 
d) arranging for the child to be placed in a facility for asylum seekers. 
 
CHAPTER X 
THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SOCIO-LEGAL PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND 
ADVISORY COMMITTEES 
 
Article 38 
 
(1) The mayor of a municipality with extended powers shall establish a committee for the 
socio-legal protection of children (hereinafter the "committee") as a separate municipal 
body38). 
 
(2) The committee 
                                                 
36 Article 30 of Act no. 20/1966 coll., as amended by Act no. 548/1991 Coll. 
 
37 Article 46 of the Family Act 
38 Article 106 of Act no. 128/2000 Coll., on Municipalities, as amended 

a) shall decide whether to authorize the performance of socio-legal protection (Articles 
48 and 49) if a legal entity or natural person only requests authorization to establish a 
facility referred to in Article 39, clause d), and whether to withdraw such authorization 
(Article 50), 
b) proposes and assesses preventative social programmes to protect ill-treated, abused 
and neglected children that are presented and discusses individual cases of ill-treated, 
abused and neglected children in the committee, in order to propose measures to assist 
children and their families, 
c) recommends the adoption of measures that should be taken to protect children from 
socio-pathological phenomena and prepares programmes to care for groups of problem 
children, 
d) on a request by the secretary of the municipal authority, assesses individual cases of 
socio-legal protection and issues an opinion on these, 
e) coordinates socio-legal protection measures on the territory of the administrative 
district of the municipality with extended powers. 
 
(3) The mayor of a municipality with extended powers nominates and removes the 
committee chairperson, his/her deputies and the other committee members from among 
the members of the town council and natural persons who contribute to socio-legal 
protection, in particular educationalists, psychologists, health care workers and 
representatives of empowered persons (Article 48), citizen's associations, churches and 
other legal or natural persons.  The committee chairperson is not required to have any 
special professional competence in the area of the socio-legal protection of children.  The 
committee secretary is an employee of the municipality with extended powers employed 
at the municipal authority in the socio-legal protection department. 
 
(4) The Committee is able to debate and pass resolutions provided a quorum is formed of 
the Committee chairperson or his/her deputy and at least two other committee members.  
The Committee shall approve resolution on the basis of the majority votes of the 
members present at the Committee meeting.  In the event of a draw, the Committee 
chairperson shall have the deciding vote and if the chairperson is not present, his/her 
deputy will cast the deciding vote. 
 
(5) The following can be invited to attend Committee meetings, as required 
a) a child, should this be commensurate with his/her age and abilities, together with the 
parents or other natural persons responsible for his/her upbringing; 
c) the child's parents or other natural persons responsible for his/her upbringing; 
c) representatives  
1. of the school the child attends, an educational, medical or institutional facility or other 
facility, 
2. the child's employer or the legal entity where the child is preparing for his/her future 
occupation, 
3. empowered persons, 
4. citizen's associations, church bodies and other legal entities; 
d) natural persons, provided these are 
1. founders of schools or other facilities listed in clause c), point 1, 

2. the child's employers or persons preparing the child for his/her future occupation, 
3. empowered persons; 
e) a judge; 
f) the public prosecutor; 
g) other natural persons; 
if this will contribute to clarify deciding facts. 
 
(6) The persons listed in paragraph 5, clauses c) to g) shall be invited to attend the 
meeting if they initiated the meeting. 
 
(7) The participation of Committee members and persons listed in paragraph 5 in 
Committee meetings constitutes a separate act in the common interest 39), and as such 
gives the Committee members and persons listed in paragraph 5, clauses c) to g) the right 
to remuneration (pay).  Committee members and persons listed in paragraph 5 who are 
not employees and are not in a similar situation to employees, but who are, however, 
gainfully employed, are compensated for their lost earnings during the period they 
perform their duties as Committee members at a rate they can substantiate, however this 
being no more than 80 CZK per hour or 680 CZK for one day.  The Committee members 
and the persons listed in paragraph 5 shall also be compensated for any travel expenses 
they can substantiate; the Committee chairperson shall determine the means of transport.  
The municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers shall pay the travel 
expenses and compensation for lost earnings. 
 
Article 38a 
 
 (1) The Regional Commissioner shall establish an advisory committee as a separate 
regional body 39a) for the purpose of arranging adoptions or foster care.  The advisory 
committee shall recommend a suitable applicant from the register of applicants held by 
the regional authority or the Ministry for a specific child registered at the regional 
authority pursuant to Article 22, paragraph 2. 
 
(2) The Regional Commission shall nominate and remove from office the chairperson of 
the advisory committee, his/her deputy and the other advisory committee members.  The 
secretary to the advisory committee shall be a regional employee employed by the 
regional authority and who works in the socio-legal protection department.  The secretary 
shall be a member of the advisory committee.  The chairperson of the advisory committee 
is not required to prove any special professional competence in the area of socio-legal 
protection. 
 
(3) The advisory committee shall consist of professionals working in the area of socio-
legal protection.  In particular, these are professionals in the field of paediatrics, 
psychology, education, representatives of educational, medical or social facilities for 
institutional education, employees of the regional authority and the municipal authority of 
a municipality with extended powers employed in the socio-legal protection division.  
                                                 
39 Article 124 of Act no. 65/1965 Coll., the Labour Code, as amended 
39a Article 65 of Act no. 129/2000 Coll., on Regions (Regional Establishments), as amended 

The advisory committee shall have a minimum of 5 members.  Article 38, paragraphs 4 
and 5 also apply to meetings of the advisory committee and the manner of passing 
resolutions. 
 
(4) The advisory committee shall meet as soon as possible after the regional authority has 
located a suitable applicant for a specific child. 
 
(5) Article 38, paragraph 7 also applies to the attendance of committee members at 
advisory committee meetings and the level of compensation, except that travel expenses 
and compensation for lost earnings are paid by the regional authority. 
 
Article 38b 
 
(1) The Minister of Labour and Social Affairs shall establish an advisory committee for 
the purpose of arranging adoptions or foster care.  The advisory committee shall 
recommend a suitable applicant from the register of applicants held by the Ministry 
pursuant to Article 23 for a specific child registered at the Ministry pursuant to Article 23.  
The advisory committee shall have a minimum of 5 members and if a quorum of a 
majority of the members is present, it is able to adopt resolutions. 
 
2) The Minister of Labour and Social Affairs shall nominate and remove from office the 
chairperson of the advisory committee, his/her deputy and the other advisory committee 
members.  The secretary to the advisory committee shall be an employee of the Ministry, 
working in the area of socio-legal protection.  The secretary shall be a member of the 
advisory committee.  
 
3) Article 38a, paragraph 3 shall also apply to the composition of the advisory committee, 
its meetings and competence to pass resolutions.  Article 38, paragraph 5 also applies to 
the attendance of members at advisory committee meetings and Article 38, paragraph 7 
applies as concerns the level of earnings to be compensated, except for the fact that travel 
expenses and compensation for lost earnings shall be paid by the Ministry. 
 
PART FOUR 
SOCIO-LEGAL PROTECTION FACILITIES 
 
Article 39 
 
Establishing socio-legal protection facilities 
(1) Municipalities and regions can establish 
a) specialized childcare counselling facilities, 
b) social welfare facilities, 
c) facilities catering for children who require immediate assistance, 
d) educational recreational camps for children, 
e) foster care facilities. 
 

(2) The provisions of Article 49, paragraph 2, clauses b) to f) and paragraphs 6 and 7 
apply to the establishment of the socio-legal protection facilities referred to in paragraph 
1 by regions or municipalities. 
 
(3) A municipality shall be obliged to report the establishment or closing down of a 
facility catering for children who require immediate assistance to the regional authority 
within 15 days of its establishment or closing down.  The regional authority shall inform 
the Ministry within 15 days of the establishment or closing down of a facility catering for 
children requiring immediate assistance by the region and if a facility has been 
established or closed down by the municipality, it is obliged to perform this duty within 
15 days of the day on which the municipality informed it of this fact. 
 
Article 40 
Specialized childcare counselling facilities 
 
(1)  Specialized childcare counselling facilities make recommendations aimed at 
resolving problematic relations between parents and their children and at parental care of 
disabled children.  This specialized counselling provides parents or other persons 
responsible for raising children with advice or arranges for them to be advised on matters 
concerning children's educational and dietary needs and other matters relating to their 
family, social and intergenerational problems, arising from the care of children. 
 
(2) Specialized childcare counselling facilities can also provide or arrange for counselling 
for natural persons approved as adoptive or foster parents. 
 
Article 41 
Social Welfare facilities 
 
Social welfare facilities are primarily aimed at children referred to in Article 6, paragraph 
1; it offers these children programmes to develop their social skills, as well as educational 
activities and ways of spending their free time. 
 
Article 42 
 
(1) Facilities catering for children who require immediate assistance provide protection 
and assistance to children who have no one to care for them or whose lives or normal 
development are seriously threatened, or children who are not provided with suitable care 
for their age (Article 15), these being children who are mentally or physically ill-treated 
or abused or children who have found themselves in an environment or a situation where 
their fundamental rights are under serious threat.  Protection and assistance for these 
children consists of satisfying their basic needs, including accommodation, providing 
health care through a medical facility and essential psychological and similar care. 
(2) A child shall be placed in a facility catering for children who require immediate 
assistance 
a) on the basis of a court ruling, 

b) on the basis of a request by the municipal authority of a municipality with extended 
powers, 
c) on the basis of a request by the child's legal representative, or 
d) if requested by the child. 
 
(3) If the child is placed in a facility catering for children who require immediate 
assistance on the basis of the facts set forth in paragraph 2, clauses b) and d), the 
municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers shall petition the court as 
soon as possible to order provisional measures, provided the consent of the parents or 
other persons responsible for the child's upbringing to the child's stay in a facility catering 
for children who require immediate assistance is not required before the date the court 
must rule on the provisional measures39b). 
 
(4) If the child is placed in a facility catering for children who require immediate 
assistance on the basis of a court ruling, 
a) the employee of a municipality with extended powers working in the municipal 
authority shall visit any child over one year old as required, but at least once every 3 
months and, if the child is under the age of 1, shall visit the child at least once a month, 
b) the child shall only be permitted to stay outside this facility with his/her parents or 
other natural persons on receipt of a written letter of consent from the municipal authority 
of a municipality with extended powers, 
c) Article 29 also applies to the performance of the duties of a facility catering for 
children who require immediate assistance. 
 
(5) A child may only be placed in a facility catering for children who require immediate 
assistance on the basis of a request by the child's legal representative if a written 
agreement is signed by the facility referred to hereabove and the child's legal 
representative, containing 
a) the name of the facility, its address and the address of the headquarters of its founders, 
b) the name and surname of the child, his/her date of birth, the address of the child's 
permanent residence as well as, possibly, that of his/her usual residence, 
c) the name and surname, date of birth, address of the permanent residence as well as, 
possibly the address of the usual residence, of the child's legal representative, 
d) details of the child's state of health and the means of accessing medical care through a 
health care facility, 
e) the reasons for the child's being placed in the facility catering for children who require 
immediate assistance, 
f) the date and time agreed for the child to register at the facility catering for children 
who require immediate assistance, 
g) the consent of the legal representative including his/her agreement that during the 
child's stay in the facility catering for children who require immediate assistance, he/she 
shall abide by the rules set out in the facility's internal regulations, 
h) the conditions and means of maintaining personal, telephone and written contact 
between the child and other persons and of restricting the circle of these persons, 
                                                 
39b Article 75 paragraph 4 of the Civil Procedure Code, as amended 

i) the means of payment and the amount payable for the child's stay in a facility catering 
for children who require immediate assistance, given that the level of the contribution 
may not be higher than the amount set forth in Article 42c, paragraph 1, depending on the 
age of the child, 
j) an agreement signed between the representative of the facility catering for children 
who require immediate assistance and the child's legal representative. 
 
(6) A facility catering for children who require immediate assistance is obliged to provide 
services and ensure that they are available round-the-clock. 
 
(7) The facility shall provide protection and assistance for children in those cases also 
listed in Article 37, paragraph 1, after the date on which the court orders the adoption of 
provisional measures on a petition by the municipal authority of a municipality with 
extended powers13). 
 
(8) The founder of the facility shall keep records of the children who have been admitted 
to the facility and these must include 
a) the date the child was admitted to the facility, 
b) the child's name and surname, if known, 
c) the child's date of birth, if known; if the child's date of birth is not known, the child's 
approximate age is entered, 
d) a record of the obligations set forth in Article 10, paragraph 4, second sentence, that 
have been fulfilled, 
e) the date and time the child was released from the facility. 
 
(9) On admitting a child, the facility catering for children who require immediate 
assistance shall report this fact as fast as possible to the founders and the competent 
socio-legal protection body. 
 
Article 42a 
 
(1) The facility catering for children who require immediate assistance  
a) fully ensures direct provision for children in the facility, consisting of the provision of 
accommodation, meals and clothing, 
b) provides educational care, 
c) ensures the provision of medical care by a health care facility, including primary health 
care,39c 
d) provides counselling to children and their parents, or the persons responsible for the 
child's upbringing, 
e) provides assistance in preparing children for schooling and someone to accompany the 
children to school, 
f) creates conditions for interesting activities for the children, 
g) is obliged to provide professional care though a social worker and a psychologist, 
                                                 
 
39c Article 20 of Act no. 48/1997 Coll., on Public Health Insurance and Amendments to some other Acts 

h) is obliged to issue internal regulations for a facility catering for children who require 
immediate assistance, which derives from the restriction of the activities of the facility by 
this Act. 
(2) The facility catering for children who require immediate assistance maintains 
a) records on the children residing in the facility, containing 
1. the child's name and surname, if known, 
2. the child's date of birth, if known; if the child's date of birth is not known, the child's 
approximate age is entered, 
3. the address of the permanent residence; if the address of the permanent residence is not 
known, other information on where the child was staying before he/she was admitted to 
the facility are noted, 
4. the date and time the child was admitted to the facility, and the date he/she left, 
5. the reason the child was admitted to the facility. 
b) filed documentation on the children residing in the facility, containing 
1. the information contained in the records listed in clause a) points 1 to 5, 
2. a copy of the court order to place the child in the facility, the petition from the 
municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers requesting that the child be 
placed in the facility, confirmation of the child's admission and a written agreement 
pursuant to Article 42, paragraph 5, 
3. records of cooperation between the facility and socio-legal protection bodies, with 
other bodies and legal and natural persons, 
4. records of assistance and treatment provided to the child, of measures adopted 
regarding the child, of medical care provided and the reasons for it, 
5. a copy of the report from the municipal authority of the municipality with extended 
powers stating the child had been placed in a facility catering for children who require 
immediate assistance, 
6. additional information needed for the provision of socio-legal protection. 
 
(3) A facility catering for children who require immediate assistance may only perform 
its activities within the confines of a building or premises that enable it to admit children, 
to accommodate them and to prepare them for schooling, to provide meals and 
recreational and other activities in their spare time. 
 
Contributions to cover the cost of accommodation and care 
Article 42b 
 
(1) If the child was placed in this facility on the basis of a court order of at the request of 
the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers, the obligation to pay a 
contribution to cover the cost of accommodation and care provided by the facility 
catering for children who require immediate assistance (hereinafter the "contribution") 
pursuant to Article 42c to 42f falls on 
a) the child's parents or parents, into whose care the child was placed by court order, or 
another person liable for the child's alimentation, 
b) a minor parent placed in this facility together with the child, 
c) a child who has lost both parents and receives an orphan's annuity. 
 

(2) The parents shall participate equally in paying the contribution. 
 
(3) The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers shall decide on the 
contribution mentioned in paragraph 1. 
 
Article 42c 
 
(1) Unless set out otherwise, the amount of the contribution for each calendar month is 
a) 1,300 CZK for a child up to six years of age, 
b) 1,495 CZK for a child between six and ten years old, 
c) 1,690 CZK for a child between ten and fifteen years old, 
d) 1,885 CZK for a child over the age of fifteen. 
 
(2) The Ministry shall issue a Public Notice announcing a change in the amounts set forth 
in paragraph 1, to reflect a change in the coefficient of the general index of consumer 
prices established by the Czech Statistical Office if the change in the coefficient exceeds 
5%. 
 
(3) If the facility catering for children who require immediate assistance receives child 
benefits pursuant to a special regulation 39d), the level of the contribution is reduced by 
the same amount, in accordance with paragraph 1. 
 
(4) The amount of the contribution for a minor mother placed in the facility catering for 
children who require immediate assistance together with her child amounts to 10% of the 
parental contribution for each calendar month pursuant to a special regulation 39e). 
 
(5) The amount of the contribution payable for a period less than one calendar month is 
calculated by the number of days.  The daily payment to cover costs amounts to one-
thirtieth of the monthly contribution. 
 
(6) The contribution is rounded up to the nearest crown. 
 
Article 42d 
 
(1) If so requested by a person mentioned in Section 42b paragraph 1, or at the suggestion 
of the facility catering for children who require immediate assistance, the contribution 
can be reduced or cancelled if their income or their family's income would thereby fall 
below the subsistence level established by a special legal regulation 39f).  The contribution 
shall also not be requested if the person mentioned in Article 42b paragraph 1, or the 
person assessed with him/her receive social security benefits because they are in social 
need pursuant to a special legal regulation 39g).  Neither shall the contribution be 
                                                 
39d Article 18 of Act no. 117/1995 Coll., on State Social Support, as amended 
39e Article 32 of Act no. 117/1995 Coll., as amended 
39f Act no. 463/1991 Coll., on the Subsistence Minimum, as amended. 
39g Act no. 482/1991 Coll., on Social Needs, as amended 

requested if it would amount to less than 100 CZK after the reduction referred to in the 
first sentence. 
 
(2) Persons referred to in Article 42b paragraph 1 shall provide evidence for their income 
or the income of the family in order to reduce or be exempted from paying their 
contribution pursuant to paragraph 1 and, six months after they last provided evidence 
they shall again show the they satisfy the conditions for a reduction or an exemption from 
paying their contribution.  These persons shall also report any changes in their income 
that might affect the level of the contribution set pursuant to paragraph without delay.  
Failure to comply with these obligations shall result in an increase in the contribution to 
the amounts set forth in Article 42c, paragraph 1, from the date of the deadline for 
providing evidence that the conditions had been filled, or it can be backdated to the 
period when the change in income was made. 
 
(3) By income, under the terms of paragraphs 1 and 2 and persons jointly assessed, under 
the terms of paragraph 1, are understood the income and persons referred to in the Act on 
the Subsistence Minimum39f). 
 
Article 42e 
 
The level of the orphan's annuity 39h) paid to a child who has lost both parents is set at the 
amounts set forth in 42c paragraph 1 according to the age of the child. 
 
Article 42f 
 
(1) The contribution for a calendar month shall be paid at the latest by the fifteenth day of 
the following calendar month.  The contribution is due to the facility on the first day of 
the child's stay in the facility, provided the child was admitted before 3 p.m. 
 
(2) If the child stays outside the facility for a period of at least 2 consecutive days, the 
monthly contribution is reduced by one-thirtieth for each of these days; the daily 
contribution shall not be reduced if the child leaves the facility after 3 p.m. or if he 
returns to the facility before 3 p.m. 
 
(3) The facility shall calculate any overpayments or arrears by the fifteenth day of the 
calendar month following that on which the contributions were paid pursuant to 
paragraph 1.  The facility shall inform the person paying the contributions in writing of 
the accounting results for the previous quarter. 
 
State funding for founders of facilities catering for children who require immediate 
assistance 
 
Article 42g 
 
                                                 
 
39h Article 52 of Act no. 155/1995 Coll., on Pension Insurance 

(1) The founder of a facility catering for children who require immediate assistance can 
claim state funding for accommodation and care provided to minor children in this 
facility on the basis of a court order or a request by a municipal authority of a 
municipality with extended powers. 
 
(2) The founder of a facility catering for children who require immediate assistance is 
obliged to use the state funding exclusively for the facility catering for children who 
require immediate assistance. 
 
(3) The state funds are due to each child and represents 
a) the amount required to ensure alimentation and all other basic personal needs 
established for this child under the provisions of the Act on the Subsistence Minimum 39i), 
multiplied by a coefficient of 7.00 if the child remains in the facility for the entire 
calendar month, 
b) one-thirtieth of the sum set forth in clause a) for each calendar day, provided the child 
only stayed in this facility for part of a calendar month; the full amount of the state 
funding is due, even if the child only stayed in the aforementioned facility for part of a 
calendar day. 
 
(4) If the child fulfils the conditions for a higher rate of state funding for part of the 
calendar month and for a lower rate for another part of the calendar month, the state 
funding shall be paid at the higher rate. 
 
(5) If any changes are made to the amounts needed to ensure alimentation and all other 
basic personal needs established for this child under the provisions of the Act on the 
Subsistence Minimum39i), the level of the state funding shall be modified from the day 
such changes occurred. 
 
Article 42h 
 
(1) The state funds shall be paid monthly in Czech crowns, at the end of the calendar 
month on which they are due, and at the latest by the end of the calendar month following 
this month. 
 
(2) The state funds shall be rounded up to the nearest crown. 
 
(3) The state funds shall be paid by the regional authority. 
 
(4) The state funds shall be remitted to the account of the founder of the facility catering 
for children who require immediate assistance, which requested the state funding. 
 
Article 42i 
 
                                                 
 
39i Act no. 463/1991 Coll., on the Subsistence Minimum, as amended 

(1) The state funds can be claimed from the day on which the conditions set forth in this 
Act have been satisfied. 
 
(2) Payment of the state funds can be claimed on the day the application for the funds has 
been submitted to the competent regional authority. 
 
Article 42j 
 
(1) If no request was made for state funding or for its part, the right to state funding or to 
its part expires on the calendar month 1 year after the first day of the calendar month 
following the calendar month on which the state funding was due. 
 
(2) If the state funding was wrongly 
a) awarded at a lower rate than it should have been, 
b) paid or paid at a lower rate than it should have been, 
c) awarded from a later date than it should have been, or 
d) refused, 
its award or increase shall be backdated to the day on which the state funding or its part 
was due, but to a maximum of 3 years back from the day on which the regional authority  
ruling on the state funding discovered the error, or from the day on which the founder of 
the facility catering for children who require immediate assistance requested an increase 
in the state funding or its award. 
 
(3) State funding that has been wrongly 
a) awarded, 
b) paid, or 
c) paid or paid at a higher rate than was due, 
shall be repaid, or its payments will be halted or reduced, on the day following the end of 
the period for which it had already been paid.  The provisions of Article 42k, paragraph 3 
remain unaffected. 
 
(4) Deadlines pursuant to paragraphs 1 to 3 are frozen after the proceedings concerning 
the state funds. 
 
Article 42 k 
 
(1) The founder of a facility catering for children who require immediate assistance shall 
inform the regional authority that approved the funding of the changes in writing within 8 
days of a factual change that would be crucial for the continuation of the claim on the 
state funding, its level or its payment, unless it concerns the changes referred to in Article 
42n. 
 
(2) If the founder of a facility catering for children who require immediate assistance is 
summoned by the regional authority that approves the state funding to give an account of 
the facts determining the right to state funding, its level or its payment, he shall comply 
with this summons within 8 days, unless the regional authority sets a longer period. 

 
(3) The founder of a facility catering for children who require immediate assistance, who 
did not comply with some of the obligations or accepted state funding or its part although 
must have known, given the circumstances, that it was wrongly paid or paid at a higher 
rate, shall return the wrongly accepted sum. 
 
 
(4) Any claim to a refund of state funds or their part that was wrongly paid or paid at the 
wrong level, expires 3 years after the day on which the state funds were paid. 
 
(5) The regional authority which paid the state funds is responsible for imposing a duty to 
refund the state funds or their part.  The sums wrongly paid may also be subtracted from 
state funds awarded subsequently to the founder of a facility catering for children who 
require immediate assistance, who is obliged, pursuant to paragraph 3, to refund the part 
of the state funds that were wrongly awarded. 
 
Article 42l 
 
(1) The regional authority shall decide on the state funding. 
 
(2) Award proceedings for the state funding commence on receipt of a written application 
submitted by the founder of the facility catering for children who require immediate 
assistance on a form provided by the Ministry. 
 
(3) The application for state funding shall contain 
a) the name of the founder of the facility catering for children who require immediate 
assistance, his address and identification number if the founder of the facility is a 
municipality or a region, 
b) the name of the founder of the facility catering for children who require immediate 
assistance, his address, identification number, the date on which the decision to authorize 
the exercise of socio-legal protection with the body which issued the decision came into 
force, if the founder of the facility is an authorized person, 
c) the name and address of the facility catering for children who require immediate 
assistance, which accommodates and cares for children, thereby allowing it to claim state 
funding, 
d) an account number or numbers on which the state funds can be remitted, 
e) a list of the children in the facility catering for children who require immediate 
assistance who entitle the founder to claim state funding; this list must contain the name 
and surname of the child, his/her birth number or date of birth if no birth number has 
been assigned, his/her permanent residence, the date of admission and date released from 
the facility catering for children who require immediate assistance, if his/her stay has 
terminated, the name, surname and address of the child's legal representative or other 
person responsible for the child's upbringing, 
f) a document proving that the child has been placed in a facility catering for children 
who require immediate assistance on the basis of a court order or on the basis of a request 
by the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers. 

 
(4) If an application has been submitted for state funding based on the provision of 
accommodation and care for children in a number of facilities catering for children who 
require immediate assistance managed by a single founder, the date listed in paragraph 3, 
clauses c), e) and f) shall be entered for each of these facilities separately. 
 
Article 42m 
 
(1) The founder of a facility catering for children who require immediate assistance may 
authorize another person to fulfil the obligations set forth in Article 42k, paragraphs 1 
and 2 and Article 42n in his/her place and to submit the application for state funding in 
the place of the founder.  This should be reported in writing by the founder of the facility 
catering for children who require immediate assistance to the regional authority 
competent to decide on the state funding within 8 days of the authorization. 
 
(2) If the founder of the facility catering for children who require immediate assistance 
has authorized another person to submit the application, in accordance with paragraph 1, 
information concerning the authorization must be included in the application for state 
funding, as well as the name and surname of the person authorized to represent the 
founder. 
 
Article 42n 
 
(1) If the state funding has been awarded, the founder of the facility catering for children 
who require immediate assistance obliged to inform the competent regional authority 
whether, in the calendar month for which the state funding should be provided, there was 
any change in the number of children, the length of their stay in the aforementioned 
facility and any modification in the age of the children as compared to the calendar 
month preceding this calendar in order to claim payment of the state funding.  The 
founder is obliged to provide this information in writing to the regional authority at the 
latest by the tenth day of the calendar month following the calendar month for which the 
state funding should be provided. 
 
(2) If there have been changes in the numbers of children, changes in the length of their 
stay in the facility catering for children who require immediate assistance or a change in 
the age of the children, the founder of the facility is obliged to provide the competent 
regional authority with the information referred to in Article 42l, paragraph 3, clause e) 
and if a new child has been placed in the facility, the information referred to in Article 
42l, paragraph 3, clause f) also has to be reported. 
 
(3) The regional authority shall issue a decision on changes in the amount of state 
funding. 
 
(4) The regional authority shall decide whether to withhold payment of the state funds if 
the founder of the facility catering for children who require immediate assistance does 
not fulfil the obligations pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2.  If the founder of the facility 

catering for children who require immediate assistance has still not fulfilled the 
obligations set forth in paragraphs 1 and 2 within 2 calendar months following the month 
during which the obligations set forth in paragraphs 1 and 2 were to be fulfilled, the claim 
to state funding shall expire.  If the obligations are subsequently fulfilled, the state 
funding can be awarded retroactively to a maximum of one year (Article 42j). 
 
Article 43 
Educational recreational camps for children 
 
(1) Educational recreational camps for children are generally organized during the school 
holidays and are principally designed for children referred to in Article 6, paragraph 1.  
The child's legal representative can request a place at the educational recreational camp 
for the child, or approve it. 
 
(2) The purpose of the educational recreational camps for children is to educate children 
in such a way as to eliminate or to suppress behavioural problems and to introduce much-
needed social and hygiene habits. 
 
Foster care facilities 
Article 44 
 
(1) Foster care may be provided in a foster care facility (hereinafter the "facility").  The 
facility is generally established in a separate building or in premises which the founder 
equips to resemble a flat for a family with a large number of children. 
 
(2) The founder of the facility concludes a written agreement with the foster parent on the 
provision of foster care in the facility (hereinafter the "agreement").  Foster care 
commences in the facility on the date set out in the agreement; however if the day set out 
in the agreement precedes the day on which the first child is placed in foster care, the 
foster care shall commence in the facility at the earliest on that day. 
 
(3) The agreement shall contain 
a) a list of household expenses and the manner of settling their average amounts by the 
founder; household expenses always include outgoings for electricity and gas, charges for 
the heating and supply of hot service water, charges for the supply of hot or service water 
from the public supply and for the drainage and possible disposal of waste and rainwater 
through the public sewerage system, charges for the disposal of domestic waste and 
charges for services related to the use of the flat, 
b) a forecast of the lowest and highest number of children, which will be organized in the 
foster care facility in such a way as to ensure that the total number of children in the 
facility, including the children of the foster parents and possibly other children, does not 
exceed 6 children; this number can only be exceeded if siblings are entrusted into the 
foster care of the foster parent or if this concerns the child of the foster parent, who began 
to stay in the facility after the agreement was concluded, or, exceptionally, for a number 
of other special reasons, 

c) the extent of transportation costs to be paid to the foster parent and the children 
entrusted to him/her, 
d) reasons for terminating the agreement with the founder; this reason always concerns 
the failure to abide by the agreed number of children pursuant to clause b) and the 
termination of foster care for all the children. 
 
(4) It can be negotiated in the agreement that a person who was in the foster care of the 
foster parent until coming of age can stay in the facility and under what conditions. 
 
(5) The provision of foster care in the facility expires on the basis of a written agreement 
between the contractual parties or through written notice given by one of the parties.  The 
founder of the facility may terminate the agreement on the basis of the terms of the 
agreement.  If there is no term of notice given for the termination of foster care in the 
facility, this term shall be set at 3 months.  The term of notice commences on the first day 
of the calendar month following receipt of the notice. 
 
Article 45 
 
(1) The foster parent providing foster care in the facility is obliged 
a) to use the income of the children entrusted to his/her care for their needs and to pay 
one tenth of the average household costs for these children.  The average part of the 
household costs for the foster children are calculated as a coefficient of the number of 
children placed in foster care and the proportion of the parts of the household costs and 
the total number of persons permanently resident in the facility; a person who is serving 
basic (substitute) service in the armed forces or civilian service is not deemed to be a 
person permanently resident in the facility, 
b) to cover the household costs listed in Article 44, paragraph 3, clause a), with the 
exception of the part of the costs covered by the founder, 
c) to enable the founder of the facility to verify that the conditions that are laid down for 
the provision of foster care in facilities by law or through agreement are complied with, 
d) to continually add to his/her specialized knowledge and understanding concerning the 
care and upbringing of children. 
 
(2) The founder of the facility is obliged 
a) to cover nine-tenths of the average amount of the household costs for the children 
entrusted to foster care, 
b) to provide the foster parent providing the foster care in the facility with payment for 
the performance of foster care and for the work associated with care of the foster children 
in the facility (hereinafter the "foster parent's remuneration"), 
c) to cover costs related to the repair and maintenance of the building and its equipment 
when this exceeds 100 CZK, 
d) to enable the spouse and children of the foster parent to live in the facility as well as a 
person who was in the care of the foster parent until coming of age, at the request of the 
foster parent, 
e) to pay for the travel expenses of the foster parent and the foster children to an agreed 
amount, 

f) to provide the foster parent, at his/her request, with permanent or temporary help if the 
foster parent has four or more children in his/her care or if at least one of the foster 
children requires special care, 
g) to ensure that the conditions that have been laid down for the provision of foster care 
in facilities by law or through agreement are complied with, 
h) to cooperate with the foster parent in acquiring specialized knowledge and 
understanding. 
 
(3) At the request of the foster parent, the founder may allow persons other than those 
referred to in paragraph 2, clause d) to stay in the facility, provided this does not conflict 
with the interests of the foster children; provided this person does not stay in the facility 
for longer than 5 days, the founder's approval is not required. 
 
(4) The foster parent is liable for any damage caused to the founder of the facility in 
which he/she provides foster care.  The founder of the facility is liable for any damage 
caused to the foster parent during the provision of foster care in the facility.  For the 
purpose of compensation for damages, the provisions laid down on the Labour Code 
regarding compensation for damages are used, with the exception of the provision on 
compensation for damages for abandoned items. 
 
Article 46 
 
Foster parent's remuneration 
 
(1) For the purposes of special legal regulations 41), the foster parent's remuneration is 
deemed to be a salary. 
 
(2) The salary represents 6.5 times the amount required to cover the personal needs of the 
foster parent while caring for between one and three children.  For each additional child, 
the remuneration rises by 0.6 times the aforementioned sum and for the care of a disabled 
child or a child requiring special individual care, the remuneration rises by 0.3 times this 
sum for each child.  The net remuneration after deducting income tax, health insurance, 
social security payments and state unemployment contribution may not amount to less 
than the amount the foster parent can claim pursuant to a special legal regulation 42). 
 
(3) If a married couple 43) are providing joint foster care in the facility, each of them has 
the right to a half of the remuneration laid down on paragraph 2, unless they agree to 
divide the remuneration otherwise. 
 
(4) The remuneration for the provision of foster care is also paid when the foster parent is 
on temporary sick leave, however this is paid for a maximum of one month. 
 
                                                 
41 For example Act no. 583/1992 Coll, on Income Tax, as amended 
42 Article 40 of Act no. 117/1995 Coll, as amended by Act no. 242/1997 Coll. 
43 Article 45a paragraph 2 of the Family Act 

(5) The average part of the monthly remuneration for the provision of foster care is set at 
a multiple of one-thirtieth and the number of days the foster care was actually provided in 
a calendar month. 
 
(6) Remuneration for foster care is paid one month in arrears on the date set by the 
founder. 
 
(7) If the foster care in the facility is terminated during the course of the calendar month, 
the remuneration for the performance of this foster care shall be paid in full for that 
month. 
 
(8) If the number of children in the facility changes during the course of the calendar 
month, the remuneration for that calendar month shall be based on the higher number of 
children; if the remuneration for the provision of foster care increases pursuant to the 
second sentence of paragraph 2, the full amount should be paid for that month, even if the 
conditions are only fulfilled for part of the month. 
 
Article 47 
 
(1) Foster care can be provided in the residence of the foster parent under the same 
conditions as apply to foster care in a facility.  When providing foster care in the 
residence of the foster parent, the provisions of Article 45, paragraph 2, clause d) do not 
apply; the provisions laid down in Article 45, paragraph 2, clause c) only apply where the 
items equipping the residence are the property of the founder or where the founder 
contributed to their purchase. 
 
(2) For the purposes of Articles 44 to 46, the foster parent is also deemed to be 
a) a person to whom children are entrusted for care on the basis of a decision by the 
municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers pursuant to Article 19, 
paragraph 1, clause ), or 
b) a guardian who personally cares for a child, 
on condition the care of this child is provided in a facility. 
 
For the purposes of Articles 44 to 46, the following are also deemed to be children placed 
in foster care 
a) a child who was placed into care on the basis of a decision by the municipal authority 
of a municipality with enlarged powers pursuant to Article 19, paragraph 1, clause b), or 
b) a child who is personally cared for by a guardian, 
on condition the care of this child is provided in a facility. 
 
(4) For the purposes of Article 45, paragraph 2, clauses a) and b) and Article 46, a child 
who has come of age and who can claim benefits to cover the needs of a child, and also a 
child who cannot claim benefits to cover the needs of a child because he/she receives a 
pension from the pension insurance fund that is the same level or higher than the benefit 

referred to above 44 ) are also deemed to be a child placed in foster care, on condition that 
the care of this child is provided in a facility. 
 
PART FIVE 
THE PROVISION OF SOCIO-LEGAL PROTECTION BY EMPOWERED PERSONS 
 
Article 48 
 
The provision of socio-legal protection by empowered persons 
 
(1) Empowered persons may provide socio-legal protection on the basis of a decision to 
authorize them to perform these activities (hereinafter the "authorization"). 
 
(2) Empowered persons may, with regard to socio-legal protection, 
a) perform activities pursuant to Article 10, paragraph 1, clause a) and Article 11, 
paragraph 1, clauses a) to c), 
b) perform activities aimed at protecting children from harmful influences and preventing 
their emergence, pursuant to Articles 31 and 32, 
c) establish socio-legal protection facilities as referred to in Article 39, 
d) provide foster parents in facilities where they act as founders with educational and 
counselling support for the performance of their foster care and monitor their 
performance of foster care, 
e) take on the preparation of natural persons approved as future adoptive parents or foster 
parents to receive a child into their family (Article 22, paragraph 6), which would 
otherwise be provided by the regional authority (Article 11, paragraph 2), 
f) to propose natural persons suitable to become foster parents in a facility referred to in 
Article 44, 
g) to locate a natural person suitable to become an adoptive or foster parent and notify the 
municipal authority of a municipality with enlarged powers of the details, 
h) to locate a child referred to in Article 2, paragraph 2, suitable for adoption or for 
placement in foster care and notify the municipal authority of a municipality with 
enlarged powers of the details, 
i) to provide natural persons suitable to become adoptive or foster parents, and adoptive 
and foster parents, with counselling related to the adoption of the child or its placement in 
foster care. 
 
(3) Empowered persons are not authorized to provide socio-legal protection other than 
those activities listed in paragraph 2. 
 
Article 49 
Authorization 
 
(1) The regional authority shall decide on the authorization, provided a competent 
commission has not been empowered with the authorization pursuant to Article 38, 
paragraph 2, clause a). 
                                                 
44 Articles 37 and 39 of Act no. 117/1995 Coll, as amended 

 
(2) The authorization is conditional upon 
a) submission of a written application, 
b) proof of professional competence for all persons who will provide socio-legal 
protection by submitting documents confirming their educational achievements and a list 
of their previous employment and other working activities; proof of professional 
competence and the submission of the employment history does not affect foster parents 
in foster care facilities and persons referred to in Article 49A, paragraph 6, 
c) the integrity of all natural persons who will provide socio-legal protection, 
d) establishing suitable hygiene conditions for the provision of socio-legal protection, as 
confirmed proved by the presentation of a report from a competent body of the hygiene 
service, 
e) ownership or the right of use of a building or premises in which socio-legal protection 
will be provided, proved by the relevant documentation, 
f) the necessary material and technical conditions for the provision of socio-legal 
protection and the operation of a socio-legal protection facility, 
g) the submission of an annual report reviewing the activities and financial management, 
and, if the empowered person does not issue an annual report, the submission of another 
document describing its activities and financial management. 
 
(3) For the purpose of deciding on the authorization, the regional authority or the 
commission request an opinion from the municipal authority of the municipality with 
extended powers in whose administrative district the applicant permanently resides or has 
a residence, headquarters or organizational offices, and in the event the applicant is 
developing his/her activities in the administrative district of another municipal authority 
of a municipality with extended powers other than where he/she permanently resides, an 
opinion is also requested from this municipal authority.  The municipal authority of a 
municipality with extended powers principally reports on the applicant's previous 
activities. 
 
(4) The application for authorization shall contain 
a) for a legal entity, the name, headquarters or organizational offices, identification 
number, registration certificate or copy of an entry into the relevant register pursuant to a 
special regulation 45) and the name and surname of a person authorized to act in the name 
of the legal entity, 
b) for a natural person, the name, surname, place of permanent residence or residence and 
birth number, 
c) the scope of the socio-legal protection to be provided and a detailed description of the 
activities for which authorization is sought, 
d) the place the socio-legal protection is to be provided, 
e) the name, surname and birth number of all natural persons who will provide socio-
legal protection, 
                                                 
45 For example, Act no. 248/1995 Coll., on Not-for-Profit Companies and on amendments and additions to 
some Acts, Act no. 308/1991 Coll., on Freedom of Religion and the Status of Churches and Religious 
Societies, Act no. 83/1990 Coll., on Association of Citizens, as amended. 

f) an extract from the Penal Register and a similar extract from the country in which the 
natural person has continuously resided for a period of three months over the past 3 years.  
The extract should not be more than 3 months old.  Recognition of documents confirming 
the integrity of the applicant that were issued by the competent body of another Member 
State of the European Union, the procedure shall be regulated by special legal provisions 
45a). 
 
(5) The authorization shall be approved if the applicant can prove that he/she complies 
with all the conditions set forth in paragraph 2.  The decision on the authorization shall 
state the scope of the socio-legal protection that can be provided.  The regional authority 
or commission shall also decide whether to extend or amend the authorization to provide 
socio-legal protection if the empowered person wishes to perform activities different to 
those for which the authorization was granted.  Paragraphs 2 to 4 also apply to the 
authorization of an extension or amendment to the provision of socio-legal protection. 
 
(6) For the purposes of granting the authorization, an individual who has never been 
convicted of a deliberate criminal offence or convicted of a criminal offence committed 
through negligence relating to the performance of activities comparable with the 
activities performed when providing socio-legal protection shall be deemed to have 
integrity.  If the applicant or other persons who are included in the application for 
authorization as persons who will provide socio-legal protection are accused of a criminal 
offence referred to in the previous sentence, the authorization proceedings shall be 
discontinued until such time as the final ruling has been made in these criminal 
proceedings. 
 
(7) The empowered person may provide socio-legal protection if, before commencing 
his/her activities, he/she takes out insurance against liability for damages caused by the 
provision of the socio-legal protection.  The insurance must be taken out for the entire 
period during which the empowered person shall provide the socio-legal protection under 
the terms of this Act.  The empowered person is obliged to send a copy to the body that 
granted the authorization within 15 days of the day the insurance contract was concluded. 
 
(8) The empowered person shall 
a) inform the body that granted the authorization of any changes in facts that might affect 
the authorization or suspend the activities laid down in the authorization, within 15 days 
of their occurrence, 
b) provide the body that granted the authorization with the documentation it needs and 
allow it access to the premises where the socio-legal protection will be provided, in order 
to verify their compliance with the conditions set out in paragraph 2, 
c) to maintain records on its activities relating to the provision of socio-legal protection 
within the scope covered by the authorization and to submit these when so requested by 
the body that granted the authorization, 
d) to produce an annual report on its socio-legal protection activities after one calendar 
year, or another document that contains a description of these activities and its financial 
                                                 
45a Act no. 18/2004 Coll., on Recognizing Professional Qualifications and other Qualifications of Citizens 
of the Member States of the European Union and on Amendments to some Laws, as amended. 

management if it does not issue an annual report and to send it at the latest by July 30th 
of the following year to the body that granted the authorization; the annual report may be 
published to the extend and on the conditions set forth in Article 57, paragraph 2, 
e) to announce the date and place of an educational recreational camp for children to the 
competent socio-legal protection body at least one month before it opens. 
 
(9) The bodies that granted the authorization are obliged to provide the Ministry with 
information on the natural person or legal entity that was granted authorization, or which 
natural person or legal entity had its authorization withdrawn and for what reasons.  The 
bodies that granted the authorization are obliged to fulfil this obligation within 8 days of 
the day on which the decision to grant or to remove the authorization came into force.  
On the basis of this information, the Ministry shall maintain a register of empowered 
persons.  For the purposes of deciding on authorization, the Ministry shall provide the 
bodies that grant the authorization information from this register in electronic form to 
enable them remote access. 
 
(10) The body that decided to grant the authorization is authorized to monitor the 
performance of socio-legal protection by the empowered persons.  The empowered 
person is obliged to provide the bodies that grant the authorization with conditions 
enabling them to perform checks and shall cooperate with them during these checks.  The 
regional authority in whose district the socio-legal protection facility has its headquarters 
is also authorized to monitor the performance of socio-legal protection pursuant to the 
first sentence; the empowered person must fulfil the obligations referred to in the second 
sentence for this regional authority.  This regional authority is obliged to report any facts 
discovered during its control of the regional authority which is competent to grant the 
authorization. 
 
Article 49a 
 
Professional competence to provide socio-legal protection by empowered persons 
 
(1) Persons who are professionally competent may provide socio-legal protection. 
 
(2) For the purpose of providing socio-legal protection by empowered persons, 
professional competence is understood to mean 
a) duly completed university studies in study programmes covering the educational and 
social sciences focusing on social care, social policies, social work, education, law, 
psychology, pedagogy or nursing and, in the field of medicine, focusing on general 
medicine and paediatrics, 
b) duly completed studies in educational programmes realized at a college in the field of 
social work, education, charity and social care, charity and social activities, social law 
activities, dual disciplinary studies in education and theology and completed nursing 
diplomas or duly completed secondary school graduation programmes in these fields, 

c) education to the stage required for a professional certificate in the area of socio-legal 
protection pursuant to a special regulation 45b), and at least one year's experience, 
d) graduation from educational courses in the field of care of the family and children 
lasting at least 100 hours and at least one year's experience in the case of a person who 
duly completed university or college education in a different area of study, or in the same 
area of study but with a different focus than that referred to in clauses a) and b), 
d) completion of educational courses in the field of the family and children lasting at least 
100 hours and at least one year's experience, in the case of persons who have duly 
completed university or college education in a different area of study, or in the same area 
of study but with a different focus than that referred to in clauses a) and b), 
e) completion of educational courses in the field of the family and children lasting at least 
100 hours and at least one year's experience, in the case of persons who have duly 
completed high school or basic school, or 
f) completion of preparations organized for volunteers from a volunteer organization 
accredited by the Ministry of the Interior pursuant to a special regulation 45c) if this 
preparation focuses on providing assistance for the care of children, juveniles and 
families in their free time. 
 
(3) Work in the area of care of families and children is deemed to constitute experience 
pursuant to paragraph 2. 
 
(4) Professional competence can be proved by a certificate of studies and confirmation of 
specialized work from the bodies or persons for whom the specialized work was 
performed. 
 
(5) Recognition of specialized qualifications and experience or other competences that 
nationals of European Union Member States or their family members 45d) have acquired 
in other Member States of the European Union is regulated by special legal provisions45a). 
 
(6) Persons who have not achieved professional competence pursuant to paragraph 2 may 
also share in providing socio-legal protection if they perform these activities under the 
supervision of a person who has acquired professional competence pursuant to paragraph 
2.  A person who has not acquired professional competence is required to attend a 
training course in the area of care for families and children pursuant to paragraph 2 clause 
d) or e) within a year of providing socio-legal protection. 
 
Article 50 
Withdrawal of authorization 
The socio-legal protection body that granted the authorization shall decide to withdraw 
the authorization, 
                                                 
45b Act no. 312/2002 Coll., on the Officials of Regional Authorities and on Amendments to some Acts, as 
amended by Act no. 46/2004 Coll. 
45c Act no. 198/2002 Coll., on Volunteer Services and on Amendments to some Acts, as amended 
45d Art. 11, Council Regulation (EEC) no. 1612/68 dated October 15th 1968 on the Free Movement of 
Workers within the Community 
 

a) if the empowered person requests that the authorization be withdrawn, 
b) if sanctions were validly imposed on the empowered person for an administrative 
offence referred to in Articles 59 to 59k in the case of particularly serious breaches of 
obligation, 
c) if the empowered person fails to perform an activity he/she was authorized to perform 
and fails to report this fact within the required term (Article 49, paragraph 8, clause a)), 
d) if, after announcing the termination of activities for which he/she was authorized, the 
empowered person has not recommenced the activities for which he/she was granted 
authorization to perform within one year of this announcement, or 
e) if the empowered person was duly convicted of a criminal offence referred to in 
Article 49, paragraph 6. 
 
(2) If the authorization was withdrawn pursuant to paragraph 1, clauses b) to d), the 
natural person or legal entity may reapply for authorization after a period of two years 
from the day on which the decision to withdraw the authorization came into force. 
 
(3) The body that withdrew the authorization is obliged to provide care for the children 
for whom the empowered person provided socio-legal protection unless some other 
means have been established. 
 
PART SIX 
COMMON PROVISIONS 
 
Article 51 
The obligation pertaining to socio-legal protection bodies to communicate information 
 
(1) Socio-legal protection bodies, commissions and advisory committees are obliged to 
share information from the register and records they hold to a degree that is essential for 
the needs of these bodies. 
 
(2) Socio-legal protection bodies that arrange adoptions or foster care also hold registers 
of children and registers of applicants in electronic form, thereby enabling remote access 
by other socio-legal protection bodies arranging adoptions or foster care in accordance 
with this Act. 
 
(3) On request, the municipal authority 
a) submits to the court reports on the situation of the child for whom the court has 
ordered disciplinary measures,  
b) recommends persons suitable to become guardians to the court and informs the 
municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers of this recommendation, 
c) sends the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers reports on the 
situation of the child, 
sends the public prosecutor reports on the situation of the child for whom the court, in  
civil proceedings petitioned by the public prosecutor, ordered protective custody pursuant 
to special legal provisions 4) 
                                                 
 

 
(4) On request, the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers  
a) submits to the court reports on the situation of the child for whom the court has 
ordered protective custody, 
b) sends the public prosecutor a report on the situation of the child if the public 
prosecutor is holding proceedings relating to the child pursuant to special legal provisions 
29), 
c) sends the filed documentation held on the child and general information and the 
summary of data it has collected during its activities, with the exception of information 
concerning the child's property, to the regional authority and the Ministry, 
d) may provide the empowered person with information required to perform his/her 
activities. 
 
(5) the socio-legal protection body is obliged 
a) on request, to provide 
1. the court and administrative offices with information they require for civil proceedings 
and administrative proceedings, 
2. the bodies involved in criminal proceedings with information they require for criminal 
proceedings, 
3. the social security offices and state social support bodies with information they require 
in order to decide on social benefits, 
to the extent corresponding to the requirements of the proceedings before these bodies, 
4. the labour office with information required to for the proceedings to authorize the 
child's activities pursuant to special legal provisions 47a), 
5. the state social welfare office with information required to establish the level of 
alimentation and to petition for a ruling, if the child's alimentation is in accordance with 
Article 19, paragraph 4, 
(6) the facility referred to in Article 29, paragraph 1 with information on the relationships 
in the family of a child who was placed in this facility on the basis of a court order, and if 
foster care or adoption is being arranged for this child, also information on the procedure 
being followed, 
(7) the prison in which the juvenile is being held with the information required for the 
punishment to achieve its purpose; 
b) to inform the body involved in the criminal proceedings of any facts that might prove 
that a criminal offence had been committed against the child 48), or that the child had 
been used to commit a criminal act, or that there is violent behaviour between the parents, 
other persons responsible for the child's upbringing and other natural persons in the same 
household as the child; to provide the Probation and Mediation Service, on request, with 
information to the extent required for criminal proceedings; 
d) to inform the Labour Office that authorized the artistic, cultural, sporting or 
advertising activities of the child pursuant to special legal provisions 47a) of any facts that 
would justify commencing proceedings to prevent the child from performing these 
                                                 
 
47a Articles 121 to 124 of Act no. 435/2004 Coll., on Employment 
48 Article 8 of the Criminal Code 
 

activities; the socio-legal protection body is also obliged to monitor whether remedial 
action has been taken; 
e) to provide the Public Defender of Rights with information requested during 
investigations pursuant to a special Act. 
 
(6) Under the terms of this Act, the registers held are in the public administration 
computer system 47b). 
 
Article 52 
 
(1) In relation to the performance of tasks pursuant to this Act, employees of the socio-
legal protection body and employees of a municipality with extended powers employed at 
the municipal authority are authorized to visit the child and the family with whom he/she 
lives, at their residence and to establish at the child's place of residence, at the school, at 
the health care facility, at work or in different environments where the child spends 
his/her time how the parents or other persons responsible for the child's upbringing care 
for the child, the social conditions in which the child is living and how the child behaves. 
 
(2) Employees of the socio-legal protection body and employees of a municipality with 
extended powers employed at the municipal authority are authorized to photograph and 
made visual and audio recordings of the child and the environment in which the child 
lives where this is necessary in order to protect the rights of the child 49). 
 
(3) Employees of socio-legal protection bodies and employees of a municipality with 
extended powers employed at the municipal authority perform the activities referred to in 
paragraphs 1 and 2 on the basis of a special authorization issued by this body, which 
bears the name or names and surname of the employee, their title and employee and a 
description of the activities which this employee is authorized to perform. 
 
Article 53 
Obligations of Government Bodies, other legal entities and natural persons and 
empowered persons 
 
(1) When so requested by socio-legal protection bodies  
a) Government bodies, 
b) employers, 
c) other legal entities, particularly schools, educational, medical and other similar 
facilities, 
d) natural persons, if they are founders of schools and other facilities referred to in clause 
c), 
e) empowered persons, 
are obliged, under the terms of this Act,  to share freely the information needed for the 
provision of socio-legal protection or for the purpose for deciding to grant authorization, 
                                                 
47b Act no. 365/2000 Coll., on Public Administration Information Systems and on Amendments to some 
Acts, as amended 
49 Article 12 paragraph 2 of the Civil Code 

unless prevented from so doing by a special regulation. They may not appeal to the 
obligation to maintain confidentiality pursuant to a special regulation 49a), if information 
has to be communicated concerning suspected ill-treatment or abuse of a child or 
neglecting to care for him/her.  However if this information relates to his/her state of 
health which is requested by a socio-legal protection body, a special regulation 50) on 
payment for medical interventions in health care facilities applies. 
 
(2) The parents are obliged 
a) to cooperate with socio-legal protection bodies in protecting the interests and rights of 
the child, 
b) to appear for personal interview when invited by the competent socio-legal protection 
body, to submit papers and other documentation and to provide essential information 
where it is required in order to provide socio-legal protection, 
c) to allow employees of the socio-legal protection body and employees of the 
municipality with extended powers employed at the municipal authority to visit their 
residence, or other locations where the child lives, in accordance with the conditions set 
forth in Article 52, paragraph 3, if this is required to protect the life or the health of the 
child, or to defend his/her rights. 
 
(3) The obligations set forth in paragraph 2 also apply to other persons responsible for the 
child's upbringing. 
 
(4) For the purposes of arranging adoption or foster care, applicants to adopt a child or 
for his/her placement in foster care are obliged, within the framework of the professional 
review pursuant to Article 27, to submit to a medical examination, to provide information 
on their state of health and to communicate the name, surname and address of their GP 
and the name and address of the medical facility in which they are treated. 
 
(5) The socio-legal protection body may impose a fine of 20,000 CZK on parents or other 
persons responsible for the child's upbringing if they do not fulfil the obligations referred 
to in paragraph 2, clauses a) to c).  The fine may be imposed repeatedly.  The fine may be 
imposed up to 6 months after the day on which the obligation was breached.  The income 
from the fine is paid towards the state budget. 
 
Article 54 
 
Registers and Records 
 
The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers holds registers of 
children 
a) referred to in Article 6, paragraph 1, 
b) for whom it was appointed curator or guardian. 
 
                                                 
49a Article 55 paragraph 2 of Act no. 20/1966 Coll., as amended 
50 Article 15 paragraph 9 of Act no. 48/1997 Coll., on Public Health Insurance and on Amendments and 
Additions to some other Related Acts 

Article 55 
 
(1) The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers maintains records on 
the children included in the register pursuant to Article 54 above. 
 
(2) The records contain, in particular, the personal details of the child, his/her parents, 
information on educational matters concerning these children, records of the results of 
investigations into the family, records of meetings with parents or other persons, copies 
of petitions to the court and other government bodies, written rulings by the courts, 
bodies involved in criminal proceedings and administrative bodies. 
 
(3) The records may also include recordings on technical data media, micrographic 
recordings, printed copies from the optic archive and printed or photographic products 
from other computer technology in the place of the original papers, from which they were 
created, unless it is clear from the nature of the matter that the original, or an officially 
verified copy of the paper should be preserved. 
 
(4) Apart from the records, the municipal authority of a municipality with extended 
powers also maintains other written matter that forms a basis for processing the records.  
This written matter is no handed over to any body, natural or legal person.  It can only be 
submitted to the court and the public prosecutor in the event that the information it 
contains relate to a criminal prosecution. 
 
(5) Only a parent of the child, who has parental responsibility, or another person 
responsible for the child's upbringing or their representative on the basis of a written 
power of attorney, has the right to inspect the records held on the child, unless part is 
related to administrative proceedings.  The content of the records will be read out to blind 
persons and the municipal authority of the municipality with enlarged powers shall allow 
the person accompanying to inspect the records if they so request.  The parents, or 
another person responsible for the child's upbringing, or their representative on the basis 
of a written power of attorney have the right to make notes while inspecting the records 
and they may pay for copies of the documentation or its part; special legal provisions 
regulate the amount charged for making a copy of the records 50a)  The Act on free access 
to information 50b) does not apply to the inspection of records. 
 
(6) The municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers is only authorized 
to use the information contained in the records relating to the child in the interest of the 
child to provide socio-legal protection.  Within 15 days of the day on which the parent or 
the person responsible for the child's upbringing requested an inspection of the records, 
the municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers, 
a) reports that it will allow the parents or the person responsible for the child's upbringing  
to inspect the records and determines the date for this inspection, in this case no decision 
is issued, or 
                                                 
50a Act no. 634/2004 Coll., on Administrative Charges, as amended 
50b Act no. 106/1999 Coll., on Free Access to Information, as amended 

b) decides to refuse the written request if it is against the interests of the child, or if the 
identity of the natural person who alerted the authorities to the facts referred to in Article 
7 can be detected from the records. 
 
(7) The municipal authority of the municipality with extended powers shall archive the 
information contained in the records that relate to 
a) the child, for a period of 15 years following the calendar year during which the child 
was added to the register, 
b) a child, who was adopted or placed in foster care, for a period of 15 years following 
the calendar year during which the child came of age, 
c) applicants for adoption or foster care, for a period of 15 years following the calendar 
year during which the applicants were removed from the register. 
(8) The provisions of paragraph 7 also apply to the maintaining of registers by the 
regional authority pursuant to Article 22 and to the Ministry pursuant to Article 23. 
 
Article 56 
 
Article 55 also applies to the management of records on children by other socio-legal 
protection bodies and on the handling of records of the municipal authority of a 
municipality with extended powers by these organs. 
 
Article 57 
 
(1) Employees of a socio-legal protection body, employees of a municipality with 
extended powers employed at the municipal authority and employees of socio-legal 
protection facilities are obliged to maintain confidentiality on facts they may have learned 
while providing socio-legal protection or in direct relation to them, unless the law 
(Article 51) dictates otherwise.  Employees of a socio-legal protection body and 
employees of a municipality with extended powers employed at the municipal authority 
are obliged to maintain confidentiality on the person who alerted the socio-legal 
protection body to the facts set forth in Article 7, they are obliged to maintain 
confidentiality on the place of residence of parents who were victims of domestic 
violence in a family with a child, and are also required to maintain confidentiality on 
information concerning the persons to whom the child was entrusted into the care of 
future adoptive parents, as well as the place of residence of this child.  The employees 
referred to in the first sentence are obliged to maintain confidentiality pursuant to the first 
and second sentences even after terminating their employment.  The employees referred 
to in the first sentence can only be released from their obligation to maintain 
confidentiality by those in whose interests they have this obligation, in writing and 
including the purpose and scope. 
 
(2) The obligation established in paragraph 1 also applies to empowered persons and 
other natural persons who learned of facts during their cooperation with socio-legal 
protection bodies and socio-legal facilities concerning which the employees referred to in 
paragraph 1 are obliged to maintain confidentiality. 
 

The socio-legal protection bodies are authorized to process the requested personal data to 
the extent necessary to enable them to perform their tasks pursuant to this Act, even when 
this personal data is designated as sensitive pursuant to a special regulation50c). 
 
Article 58 
 
(1) Costs arising in relation to the provision of socio-legal protection, unless otherwise 
stipulated, are borne by the state, with the exception of costs to establish and operate 
socio-legal protection facilities, which are borne by the founder of this facility, and with 
the exception of costs that were produced by an empowered person in relation to the 
provision of socio-legal protection. 
 
(2) If it is a municipality, a region or an empowered person who has founded a facility 
catering for children who require immediate assistance, it can claim state funding 
pursuant to Article 42g to 42n. 
 
(3) Socio-legal protection is provided free of charge, with the exception of children's 
attendance at educational recreational camps, children staying at facilities catering for 
children requiring immediate assistance and the administration of children's property51). 
 
(4) When setting the cost for the child's stay at an educational recreational camp, the 
founder is regulated by a special regulation40).  The founder may set conditions according 
to which this cost may be partially or wholly ignored. 
 
Article 58a 
 
According to the terms of this Act, the competences ascribed to a regional authority, a 
municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers or a municipal authority are 
devolved competences. 
 
PART SEVEN 
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFENCES 
 
CHAPTER I 
MISDEMEANOURS 
 
Article 59 
 
(1) A natural person shall commit a misdemeanour if he/she 
a) as a person with whom a child resides, refuses to allow the child to meet the applicant 
pursuant to Article 24, paragraph 3 and Article 24a, paragraph 4, 
b) performs an activity referred to in Article 48, paragraph 2 without authorization, 
                                                 
50c Act no. 101/2000 Coll., as amended 
51 Article 37b of the Family Act 
 

c) arranges an adoption or foster care pursuant to Article 19a, paragraph 1, clause d) 
despite being unauthorized and inconsistent with Article 19a, paragraph 2, 
d) does not fulfil his/her obligations pursuant to Article 10a, paragraph 2 to inform the 
municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers that he/she took a child into 
his/her care with the intention of providing him/her with permanent care, 
e) impedes the care provided by the adoptive parent or the upbringing of the adopted 
child by releasing or disseminating information concerning the adoption, 
f) frustrates the child's protective custody or disrupts the care of the child who has been 
placed in the care of a person other than the parents or in foster care, 
g) as a person responsible for a child, leaves the child without the proper care appropriate 
for his/her age, intellectual maturity or even state of health, thereby placing him/her in 
danger of serious detrimental to his/her health, or as a result of this the child might 
damage the health of another person or cause substantial harm to other people's property, 
h) applies inappropriate measures with the intent of humiliating the child and offending 
his/her human dignity, or 
i) intentionally impedes or frustrates the performance of the decision of the municipal 
authority pursuant to Article 13, which would place the child under supervision or restrict 
the child's movements. 
 
(2) A fine of up to 50,000 CZK may be imposed for misdemeanours pursuant to 
paragraph 1, clauses a), b), d) to i) and a fine of up to 200,000 CZK may be imposed for 
misdemeanours pursuant to paragraph 1, clause c). 
 
Article 59a 
 
(1) The parent or other natural person responsible for the child's upbringing shall commit 
a misdemeanour if he/she 
a) does not fulfil his/her obligation to seek the help of a professional counselling service, 
imposed under a decision by the socio-legal protection body pursuant to Article 12, or 
b) does not collect a child who has been repatriated from abroad pursuant to Article 36, 
paragraph 3, despite the fact that no substantial difficulties prevented him/her from so 
doing. 
 
(2) A fine of up to 20,000 CZK may be imposed for misdemeanours pursuant to 
paragraph 1. 
 
Article 59b 
 
(1) A natural person can commit a misdemeanour as an empowered person by 
a) exceeding the scope of socio-legal protection laid down in the authorization or 
performing socio-legal protection in conflict with the conditions laid down in Article 49, 
or breaches the obligation laid down in the authorization, 
b) violating the rights of a child living in protective custody facilities or fails to fulfil the 
obligations required for their protection when performing socio-legal protection within 
the scope of the socio-legal protection laid down in the authorization, or 

c) seriously violating hygiene and anti-epidemiological regulations or violating these 
regulations repeatedly. 
 
(2) A fine of up to 200,000 CZK may be imposed for misdemeanours pursuant to 
paragraph 1, clauses a) and b) and a fine of up to 50,000 CZK may be imposed for a 
misdemeanour pursuant to paragraph 1, clause c). 
 
Article 59c 
(1) A natural person as a person responsible for an institutional facility or a facility 
catering for children who require immediate assistance, who is neither a legal entity nor a 
natural person conducting business, commits a misdemeanour if he/she fails to ensure 
that this facility fulfilled its obligations pursuant to Article 29, paragraph 6. 
 
(2) A fine of up to 50,000 CZK may be imposed for a misdemeanour pursuant to 
paragraph 1. 
 
Article 59d 
 
(1) A natural person as a founder of a school, educational, medical or other similar 
facility, or as an empowered person may commit a misdemeanour by failing to fulfil 
his/her obligation to provide, free of charge, the information needed to provide socio-
legal protection or for the purpose of deciding whether to grant authorization pursuant to  
Article 53, paragraph 1. 
 
(2) A fine of up to 50,000 CZK may be imposed for a misdemeanour pursuant to 
paragraph 1. 
 
Article 59e 
 
(1) ) A natural person as an empowered person or as a person responsible for a school, 
educational facility or other facility designed to be used by children, who is neither a 
legal entity nor a natural person conducting business, may commit an administrative 
offence by failing to fulfil his/her obligation pursuant to Article 10, paragraph 4 to inform 
the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers without delay that he/she 
has learned of a child referred to in Article 6, paragraph 1 who is to be provided with 
socio-legal protection, or fails to ensure that the school, educational facility or other 
facility designated for children for which he/she is responsible had fulfilled this 
obligation. 
 
(2) A fine of up to 50,000 CZK may be imposed for a misdemeanour pursuant to 
paragraph 1. 
 
CHAPTER II 
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFENCES BY LEGAL ENTITIES AND NATURAL PERSONS 
CONDUCTING BUSINESS 
 

Article 59f 
 
(1) A legal entity or a natural person conducting business commit an administrative 
offence if he/she 
a) as a person with whom a child resides, refuses to allow the child to meet the applicant 
pursuant to Article 24, paragraph 3 and Article 24a, paragraph 4, or 
b) does not fulfil his/her obligations pursuant to Article 10a, paragraph 2 to inform the 
municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers that he/she took a child into 
his/her care with the intention of providing him/her with permanent care, 
 
(2) A legal entity commits an administrative offence if he/she 
a) performs an activity referred to in Article 48, paragraph 2 without authorization, 
b) arranges an adoption or foster care pursuant to Article 19a, paragraph 1, clause d) 
despite being unauthorized and inconsistent with Article 19a, paragraph 2, 
 
(3) A fine of up to 50,000 CZK may be imposed for an administrative offence pursuant to 
paragraph 1 and paragraph 2, clause a) and a fine of up to 200,000 CZK may be imposed 
for an administrative offence pursuant to paragraph 2, clause b). 
 
Article 59g 
 
(1) A legal entity or a natural person conducting business commit an administrative 
offence if he/she 
a) exceeds the scope of socio-legal protection laid down in the authorization or 
performing socio-legal protection in conflict with the conditions laid down in Article 49, 
or breaches the obligation laid down in the authorization, 
b) violates the rights of a child living in protective custody facilities or fails to fulfil the 
obligations required for their protection when performing socio-legal protection within 
the scope of the socio-legal protection laid down in the authorization, or 
c) seriously violates hygiene and anti-epidemiological regulations or violates these 
regulations repeatedly. 
 
(2) A fine of up to 200,000 CZK may be imposed for an administrative offence pursuant 
to paragraph 1, clause a) and b) and a fine of up to 50,000 CZK may be imposed for an 
administrative offence pursuant to paragraph 1, clause c). 
 
Article 59h 
 
(1) A legal entity or a natural person conducting business as an institutional facility or a 
facility catering for children who require immediate assistance commit an administrative 
offence if they violate their obligations pursuant to Article 29, paragraph 6. 
 
(2) A fine of up to 50,000 CZK may be imposed for an administrative offence pursuant to 
paragraph 1. 
 
 

Article 59i 
(1) A legal entity or a natural person conducting business as an employer, school, 
educational, medical or other similar facility, or as an empowered person may commit an 
administrative offence by failing to fulfil his/her obligation to provide, free of charge, the 
information needed to provide socio-legal protection or for the purpose of deciding 
whether to grant authorization pursuant to Article 53, paragraph 1. 
 
(2) A fine of up to 50,000 CZK may be imposed for an administrative offence pursuant to 
paragraph 1. 
 
Article 59j 
(1) A health care facility may commit an administrative offence when treating the injuries 
of a child in a case of suspected ill-treatment, abuse or neglect to provide care (Article 10, 
paragraph 5) by failing to send the record of the injury to the municipal authority of a 
municipality with extended powers pursuant to Article 10, paragraph 6. 
 
2) A fine of up to 50,000 CZK may be imposed for an administrative offence pursuant to 
paragraph 1. 
 
Article 59k 
1) ) A legal entity or a natural person conducted business as an empowered person or as a 
person responsible for a school, educational facility or other facility designed to be used 
by children, who is neither a legal entity nor a natural person conducting business, may 
commit an administrative offence by failing to fulfil his/her obligation pursuant to Article 
10, paragraph 4 to inform the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers 
without delay that he/she has learned of a child referred to in Article 6, paragraph 1 who 
is to be provided with socio-legal protection. 
 
2) A fine of up to 50,000 CZK may be imposed for an administrative offence pursuant to 
paragraph 1. 
 
CHAPTER III 
COMMON PROVISIONS 
 
Article 59l 
 
(1) A legal entity is not answerable for the administrative offence if it can prove that it 
made every possible effort to prevent the breach of the legal obligation. 
(2) When determining the level of the fine imposed on a legal entity, account is taken of 
the seriousness of the administrative offence, particularly in terms of the manner in which 
it was committed and its consequences and in terms of the circumstances under which it 
was committed. 
(3) The liability of a legal entity for an administrative offence expires if the 
administrative body has not commenced proceedings against it within one year of the day 
on which it learned of the offence and at the latest within 3 years of the day on which it 
was committed. 

(4) The provisions of the Act on Liability and Sanctions for Legal Entities relate to 
liability for negotiations that occurred when business was conducted by a natural person 
52) or was directly related to him. 
(5) Under the provisions of this Act, the first level of administrative offences shall be 
heard by 
a) the socio-legal protection body that included the applicant in the register of applicants, 
if it concerns an administrative offence pursuant to Article 59, paragraph 1, clause a) or 
pursuant to Article 59f, paragraph 1, clause a), 
b) the regional authority, which would be competent to grant authorization, or if a 
commission were competent to grant authorizations, the municipal authority of a 
municipality with extended powers, whose mayor established the commission, if it is an 
administrative offence pursuant to Article 59, paragraph 1, clause c) or Article 59d, 
paragraph 2, clause a), 
c) the competent regional authority for the child's permanent residence if it is an 
administrative offence pursuant to Article 59, paragraph 1, clause c) or pursuant to 
Article 59f, paragraph 2 clause b), 
d) the competent municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers, depending 
on the child's permanent residence if it concerns an administrative offence pursuant to 
Article 59, paragraph 1, clause e) to h), Article 59a, paragraph 1, clause b), Article 59c, 
paragraph 1, or Article 59h, paragraph 1, 
e) the regional authority that granted the authorization, or the municipal authority of a 
municipality with extended powers, whose mayor established the commission that 
granted the authorization, if it concerns an administrative offence pursuant to Article 59b, 
paragraph 1 or Article 59g, paragraph 1, 
f) the socio-legal protection body, for which the obligation has to be fulfilled unless the 
administrative offences are due to be discussed by the competent bodies pursuant to 
clauses a) to e). 
 
(6) The fines shall be collected by the socio-legal protection body which imposed them. 
 
(7) The procedure for collecting and recovering fines is regulated by special legal 
provisions 52a), 
 
PART EIGHT 
PROCEEDINGS AND LOCAL COMPETENCE 
 
Article 60 
Unless this Act dictates otherwise, the procedure shall follow the Administrative 
Procedure Code. 
 
Article 61 
Local Competence 
                                                 
52 Article 2 of the Commercial Code 
52a Act no. 185/2004 Coll., on the Customs Administration, as amended 

(1) The local competence of the regional authority, the municipal authority of a 
municipality with extended powers and a municipal authority is subject to the permanent 
residence of the child, unless it is set forth otherwise. 
(2) The local competence of the regional authority is subject to 
a) the location of the permanent residence of the natural person who wishes to become an 
adoptive parent or to take a child into foster care if it concerns cases referred to in Article 
11, paragraph 2, clause a), Article 22, Article 24, paragraphs 2 and 3, Article 24b, 
paragraphs 1 and 3, Article 24 c, paragraph 1, clauses b) and c), Article 24c, paragraph 3 
and Article 27, 
b) the location of the permanent residence of the natural person suitable to become an 
adoptive parent or a foster parent and the location of the permanent residence of the 
adoptive parent or the foster parent, if it concerns cases referred to in Article 11, 
paragraph 2, clause b), 
c) the location of the headquarters of the founder of the facility catering for children who 
require immediate assistance, if it concerns state funding for the founder of this facility, 
d) the location of the permanent residence or the usual residence or the headquarters of an 
empowered person if is concerns granting authorization pursuant to Article 49, or 
removal of the authorization pursuant to Article 50. 
 
(3) The local competence of the municipal authority of a municipality with extended 
powers is subject to 
a) the location where the child is to be found if it concerns a child referred to in Article 
10a, paragraph 1, article 15, paragraph 2, Article 16 and Article 37, paragraph 2, 
b) the location of the permanent residence of the natural person who wishes to become 
and adoptive parent or to provide a child with foster care if it concerns cases referred to 
in Article 11, paragraph 1, clause d), Article 20, paragraph 2, Article 21, paragraph 1 and 
Article 27a, paragraph 2, 
c) the location of the permanent residence of the natural person if it concerns a case 
referred to in Article 30, paragraph 5, 
d) the location of the headquarters of the medical facility if it concerns sending the record 
on the child's injury (Article 10, paragraph 6); if the child does not have permanent 
residence in the administrative district of this municipal authority, this municipal 
authority will send a record of the child's injury to the municipal authority of a 
municipality with extended powers in whose administrative district the child is 
permanently resident, 
e) the location where the parents are staying, if it is a case of obtaining the prior consent 
of the parents to the adoption of the child without any relation to a specific adoptive 
parent (Article 19, paragraph 3). 
 
(4) The local competence of the commission is subject to the location of the permanent 
residence or the headquarters of the empowered person, if it is a case of granting 
authorization pursuant to Article 38, paragraph 2, clause a), or the withdrawal of 
authorization pursuant to Article 50. 
 
Article 62 
 

(1) Were the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers made the child's 
curator for the proceedings held in a different court than the competent court according to 
the child's permanent residence, this municipal authority of a municipality with extended 
powers has the right to request a municipal authority of a municipality with extended 
powers in whose district the court hearing is taking place that it represent the child, and 
transfer the child's records together with its opinion.  The requested municipal authority 
of a municipality with extended powers is obliged to accommodate the requestor and is 
authorized to represent the child in the proceedings. 
 
(2) Were the Office to be designated curator, it can request the municipal authority of a 
municipality with extended powers in whose district the court hearing is taking place to 
represent the child and transfer to it the necessary records, together with its opinion.  The 
requested municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers is obliged to 
accommodate the requestor and is authorized to represent the child in the proceedings. 
 
(3) The competent socio-legal protection body pursuant to Article 61, which is under 
obligation to visit the child in his/her family, or for the purposes of socio-legal protection, 
carry out an investigation on other persons, is authorized to request that a different socio-
legal protection body, in whose district the child or another person are staying, carry out 
these visits.  The socio-legal protection body is obliged to accommodate the requestor.  
The first sentence does not apply to visits to children placed in the care of other natural 
persons than the parents pursuant to Article 19, paragraph 5. 
 
(4) The municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers, which has local 
competence pursuant to Article 61, is authorized to request the municipal authority of a 
municipality with extended powers in whose district the children's parent is staying, to 
cooperate in arranging the assistance of a counselling facility for the parents whose child 
has been placed in a facility for institutional care (Article 12, paragraph 2).  The 
requested municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers is obliged to 
accommodate the requestor. 
 
(5) Paragraphs 1 to 4 also apply to the participation of a municipal authority of a 
municipality with extended powers, where criminal proceedings are being held against 
the child or an administrative hearing at which the child is a party. 
 
Article 63 
 
The proceedings are instituted on the basis of a written petition submitted by the socio-
legal protection body 
a) competent to accept petitions pursuant to Article 20, paragraph 1, if this concerns 
inclusion in the register of applicants (Article 22), 
b) competent to decide on placing the child in the care of the future foster or adoptive 
parents (Article 19, paragraphs 1 and 2), 
c) competent to decide on granting authorization pursuant to Article 49, with the 
exception of the case referred to in Article 38, paragraph 2, clause a), 

d) whose special body is the commission referred to in Article 38, paragraph 2, clause a), 
if this concerns granting authorization to perform socio-legal protection and for which 
this commission is a competent body. 
 
Article 64 
 
(1) In proceedings to place the child into the care of the future adoptive parents, the 
child's parents do not participate in the proceedings if they have not attended the adoption 
proceedings pursuant to a special regulation 53).  Only the applicant participates in the 
proceedings to include the applicant in the register of applicants for adoption or foster 
care . 
 
(2) For issuing a decision on inclusion in the register of applicants (Article 22, paragraphs 
5 and 6, Article 25, paragraph 3), the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Code do 
not apply to the term for issuing a decision54. In the proceedings on giving consent to an 
intercountry adoption (Article 35, paragraph 2, clause i), the child's parents are not 
present at the proceedings if they were not even present during the adoption proceedings. 
 
(3) Appeals against a decision to place the child in the care of his/her future adoptive 
parents and placing the child in the care of his/her future foster parents and appeals 
against the level of maintenance set to cover accommodation and care pursuant to 
Articles 42b to 42f does not have a suspensory effect. 
 
PART NINE 
TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS 
 
Article 65 
Transitional Provisions 
 
(1) The registers and records relating to the socio-legal protection of the child before the 
Act comes into force are regarded as registers and records according to this Act.  Within 
9 calendar months of the date this Act comes into force, district offices and municipalities 
are obliged to complete the registers and records relating to socio-legal protection and 
adapt them to the requirements of this Act. 
 
(2) Legal entities and natural persons who, on the day this Act comes into force are 
providing socio-legal protection on the basis of the previous regulations and within the 
scope of this Act, are obliged, within 3 months of this Act coming into force, to request  
the Ministry, and if this is a case referred to in Article 49, paragraph 1, second sentence,  
the municipal authority to issue a decision on authorizing them to provide socio-legal 
protection.  Until the decision on the authorization, but within a maximum of 12 months 
for the day this Act comes into force, the legal entities and natural persons referred to in 
the first sentence shall be deemed to be persons authorized to perform socio-legal 
protection. 
                                                 
53 Article 181 of the Civil Procedure Code 
54 Article 71 paragraphs 1 and 3 of the Administrative Procedure Code 

 
(3) If the persons referred to in paragraph 2 perform socio-legal protection in a different 
scope than is allowed by this Act at the date on which  this Act comes into force, they 
shall be obliged to terminate this activity by 6 calendar months from the date this Act 
comes into force. 
 
(4) The rights and obligations that the Centre for the International Protection of Juveniles 
had on the day this Act came into force, are transferred to the Office.  The rights and 
responsibilities arising from the employment relations of the employees of the Centre for 
the International Protection of Juveniles are transferred to the Office. 
 
(5) The deadline for visiting children placed in the care of other natural persons (Article 
19, paragraph 5), a child placed in a facility that provides institutional or protective 
custody (Article 29, paragraph 2), and a child who is detained or imprisoned (Article 34), 
starts from the child placed in care or placed in a facility before the day this Act comes 
into force and runs from the day this Act comes into force. 
 
(6) For a child's temporary stay with his/her parents or other natural persons (Article 30), 
which began, with the consent of the socio-legal protection body, to run before the day 
this Act came into force, the length of this stay can be a maximum of 14 calendar days 
from the day this Act came into force; this period may only be extended on the basis of 
the written consent of the socio-legal body for the protection of children. 
 
(7) The Commission for the care of families and children, which was established on the 
basis of the previous regulations shall be known as the Commission for the Socio-Legal 
Protection of Children from the day this Act comes into force. 
 
(8) Foster care facilities established before the day this Act came into force are deemed to 
be facilities for foster care pursuant to this Act from the day the agreement has been 
completed, according to the terms of this Act and at most 12 months from the day this 
Act came into force, and special regulations apply to foster care provided at a facility, 
which were valid before the day this Act came into force. 
(9) When arranging adoptions or foster care pursuant to Articles 20 to 27, the procedure 
should follow this Act, even though the application and arrangements were made before 
it came into force.  The Ministry shall decide on these applications and arrangements for 
adoptions pursuant to Article 22, paragraph 5, within 3 calendar months of this Act 
coming into force. 
 
Article 66 
 
The following Acts are repealed: 
1. Act no. 50/1973 Coll., on Foster Care 
2. Act no. 58/1984 Coll., which amends the Act on Foster Care 
3. Act no. 118/1992 Coll., which amends and adds to  
act no. 50/1973 Coll., on Foster Care, as amended by 
act no. 58/1984 Coll. 

4. Part of the fourth Act no. 169/1999 Coll., on Imprisonment and on amendments to 
some related Acts 
 
Article 67 
This Act comes into force on April 1st 2000. 
 
 
Act no. 257/2000 Coll., on the Probationary and Mediatory Service and on amendments 
to Act no S/1969 Coll., on Establishing Ministries and other Central Administration 
Bodies of the Czech Republic, as amended, Act no. 65/1965 Coll., the Labour Code, as 
amended, and Act no. 359/1999 Coll., on the Socio-Legal Protection of Children (Act on 
the Probationary and Mediatory Service), came into force on January 1st 2001. 
 
Act no. 272/2001 Coll., which amends Act no. 359/1999 Coll., on the Socio-Legal 
Protection of Children, as amended by Act no. 257/2000 Coll., came into force on 
January 1st 2002. 
 
Act no. 320/2002 Coll., on amendments and repeal of some Acts in relation to the 
termination of the activities of the district authorities, came into force on January 1st 
2003. 
 
Act no. 518/2002 Coll., which amends Act no. 359/1999 Coll., on the Socio-Legal 
Protection of Children, as amended, Act no. 114/1988 Coll., on the Powers of the 
Authorities of the Czech Republic in Social Security, as amended, Act no. 582/1991 Coll., 
on the Organisation and Implementation of Social Security, as amended, and Act no. 
320/2002 Coll., on amendments and repeal of some Acts in relation to the termination of 
the activities of the district authorities, as amended by Act no. 426/2002 Coll., came into 
force on January 1st 2003. 
 
Act no. 222/2003 Coll., which amends Act no. 326/1999 Coll., on Residence of Aliens on 
the Territory of the Czech Republic and on Amendments to certain Acts, as amended, Act 
no. 359/1999 Coll., on the Socio-Legal Protection of Children, as amended, Act no. 
325/1999 Coll., on Asylum and on amendments to Act no. 283/1991 Coll., on the Police 
of the Czech Republic, as amended (Asylum Act), as amended, and Act no. 48/1997 Coll., 
on Public Health Insurance and on amendments and additions to some related Acts, as 
amended, came into force on January 1st 2004. 
 
Act no. 52/2004 Coll., which amends Act no. 169/1999 Coll., on Imprisonment and on 
amendments to some related Acts, as amended, and some other Acts came into force on 
July 1st 2004. 
 
Act no. 315/2004 Coll., which amends Act no. 117/1995 Coll., on State Social Support, 
as amended, Act no. 94/1963 Coll., on the Family, as amended, and Act no. 359/1999 
Coll., on the Socio-Legal Protection of Children, as amended, came into force on the day 
it was adopted (May 27th 2004). 
 

Act no. 436/2004 Coll., which amends some Acts in relation to the adoption of the Act on 
Employment came into force on the first day of the third month following the day it was 
adopted (October 1st 2004). 
 
Act no. 501/2004 Coll., which amends certain Acts in relation to the adoption of the 
Administrative Procedure Code, came into force on January 1st 2006. 
 
Act no. 57/2005 Coll., which amends Act no. 325/1999 Coll., on asylum and on the 
amendment to Act no. 283/1991 Coll., on the Police of the Czech Republic, as amended 
(Asylum Act), as amended, and Act no. 359/1999 Coll., on the Socio-Legal Protection of 
Children, as amended, came into force on February 1st 2005. 
 
Act no. 381/2005 Coll., which amends Act no. 349/1999 Coll., on the Public Defender of 
Rights, as amended, and certain other Acts, came into force on January 1st 2006. 
 
Act no. 134/2006 Coll., which amends Act no. 359/1999 Coll., on the Socio-Legal 
Protection of Children, as amended, Act no. 94/1963 Coll., on the Family, as amended, 
Act no. 99/1963 Coll., on the Civil Procedure Code, as amended, Act no. 117/1995 Coll., 
on State Social Support, as amended, and Act no. 200/1900 Coll., on Misdemeanours, as 
amended, came into force on the first day of the second calendar month following the day 
it was adopted (July 1st, 2006).