Section 171: Provision of services for children in need, etc

(1) A State Government shall generally-
(a) safeguard and promote the welfare of the children in need within that State; and
(b) so far as is consistent with that duty, promote the upbringing of those children by their families; by providing a range and level of services appropriate to the needs of the children.
(2) The State Government shall also encourage private organisations who may wish to provide services for children in need to provide such services as may be permitted by the State Government.
(3) Any service provided by the State Government in the discharge of its duty under this section may be provided for the family of a particular child in need or for a member of the family of the child, if the service is provided with a view to safeguarding or promoting the welfare of the child.
(4) Every State Government shall, for the purpose of facilitating the discharge of its general duty under this section, have the duties and powers set out in Part I of the seventh Schedule to this Act.
[Seventh Schedule]
(5) The Minister may by order amend duties and powers set out in Part I of the Seventh Schedule to this Act.
[Seventh Schedule]
(6) Every State Government-
(a) shall facilitate the provision by voluntary organisations and other bodies of services which the State Government has power to provide by virtue of Sections 177, 178, 182 and 183 of this Act; and
(b) may make such arrangements as it deems fit for any person to act on its behalf in the provision of any of those services.
(7) The services provided by a State Government in the discharge of its duty under this section may include the giving of assistance in kind or in exceptional cases, in cash, and the assistance may be conditional or unconditional.
(8) Before giving assistance or imposing any condition under this section, a state government shall have regard to the means of the child concerned and each of his parents.
(9) No person shall be liable to make any repayment of assistance or of its value at any time when he is in receipt of the income support or any form of support from public funds.
(10) For the purpose of this section and other sections of the part of this Act-
(a) a child shall be taken to be in need if-
(i) the child is likely to achieve or maintain or to have the opportunity of achieving or maintaining a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision for the child of the services by state government under this part of this Act;
(ii) the health and development of the child is likely to be significantly impaired or further impaired without the provision for the child, of the services provided for under this part of this Act; or
(iii) the child is disabled, internally displaced, a refugee or is otherwise in a specially difficult circumstances;
(b) a child is disable if the child is blind, deaf or dumb or suffers from mental disorder of any kind or is substantially and permanently handicapped by illness, injury or congenital deformity or any other disability as maybe prescribed.