Women’s Charter 1961 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 8 · Maintenance of Wife, Incapacitated Husband and Children
70. Duty to maintain child accepted as member of family
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Where a person has accepted a child who is not his or her child as a member of the person’s family, it shall be the person’s duty to maintain that child while he or she remains a child, so far as the father or the mother of the child fails to do so, and the court may make such orders as may be necessary to ensure the welfare of the child, which may include an order that the person pay a monthly sum or lump sum for the maintenance of the child.
child
“child” means a child of the marriage as defined in section 92 but who is below 21 years of age.
The duty imposed by subsection (1) ceases if the child is taken away by his or her father or mother.
The court, when making any order under subsection (1) that the person pay a monthly sum or lump sum for the maintenance of the child, is to have regard to all the circumstances of the case, including the matters in section 69(4) where appropriate and with the necessary modifications.
An application for an order under subsection (1) may be made by —
any person who is a guardian or has the actual custody of the child;
where the child has attained 21 years of age, the child himself or herself;
where the child is below 21 years of age, any of his or her siblings who has attained 21 years of age; or
any person appointed by the Minister.
Subsections (5) to (8) of section 69 apply, with the necessary modifications, to the making of an order under this section.