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At-Risk Toddlers Law (Right to a Day Care Centre), 5760-2000

חוק פעוטות בסיכון (הזכות למעון יום), תש"ס-2000

Published: 2000-07-28Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-07-30 · Last amended 2018-10-31✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-29
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Unofficial English translation — for reference only. It may contain errors or omissions and cannot be relied on as a legal text. Only the Hebrew text published in Reshumot is legally binding.More

This English text was translated from the official Hebrew using a range of translation tools, and it undergoes ongoing checks and updates. It is not a certified translation.

Despite these checks, it may contain errors, omissions, or imprecise renderings of legal terminology and cross-references, and it may not yet reflect the latest amendments. It cannot be relied upon as a legal text.

The Hebrew text as published in Reshumot (ספר החוקים) and on the Knesset website is the sole authoritative and legally binding version. In any discrepancy, the Hebrew text prevails.

This translation is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For use in legal proceedings, request a certified Expert Legal Opinion.

Definitions§

1.

In this Law –

"person responsible for the toddler" – a parent or guardian of the toddler;

"committee" – an At-Risk Toddlers Committee or a Treatment Planning and Assessment Committee;

"At-Risk Toddlers Committee" – a committee as referred to in section 3a;

"department for social services" – the department for social services in the local authority within whose area the place of residence of the person responsible for the toddler is situated;

"day care centre" – a day care centre, as defined in the Supervision of Day Care Centres Law, 5725-1965, serving for the daily stay of toddlers, including a family day care home, as well as a day care centre for toddlers as defined in the Supervision of Day Care Centres for Toddlers Law, 5779-2018;

"family day care home" – a place in which no more than 5 toddlers stay, which is held and managed by a carer who has been trained for the role by the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Services;

"social worker treating the family" – a social worker in the department for social services who treats the toddler and the toddler's family;

"toddler" – a person who has not yet reached 36 months of age on 1 September of that school year and who is present in Israel;

"Treatment Planning and Assessment Committee" – the committee as defined in the Supervision of Day Care Centres (Maintenance of Children in a Regular Day Care Centre) Regulations, 5726-1965;

"the Minister" – the Minister of Labour, Welfare and Social Services.

At-Risk Toddler§

2.

An at-risk toddler is a toddler who is in a situation in which there is a real concern for the toddler's proper development, whom the committee has determined to be in a situation of risk and who, as a result, needs to stay in a day care centre in order to prevent the toddler's removal from the toddler's home.

Situations of Risk§

3.

A situation of risk for the purposes of section 2 is one of the following:

(1)in the opinion of a social worker treating the family and on the basis of written medical information from a physician or a nurse, the toddler is battered or the toddler's developmental needs are not being met due to ongoing neglect;
(2)one of the toddler's parents is not functioning properly owing to domestic violence, a mental disorder including mental illness, alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling addiction, intellectual-developmental disability, severe disability, prostitution, criminal conduct or a chronic illness of one of the family members;
(3)(Repealed)
(4)(Repealed)
(5)the toddler has a developmental delay, on the basis of a certificate from a specialist physician in paediatrics with experience in the field of child development, a specialist physician in child neurology and child development or a developmental psychologist, and there exist family circumstances by reason of which there is a real concern for the toddler's proper development.

At-Risk Toddlers Committee§

3a.
(a)A local authority shall establish within the department for social services an At-Risk Toddlers Committee which shall discuss and determine whether a toddler is an at-risk toddler as referred to in section 2 and the modes of treatment of the toddler's case within the community framework, such as treatment by the social worker treating the family, referral for professional treatment by other parties or referral to various public services to which the toddler and the toddler's family are entitled.
(b)The composition of an At-Risk Toddlers Committee shall be as follows:
(1)the head of the department for social services or a social worker from the department appointed by the head of department, who is not the social worker treating the family, and who shall serve as chairperson of the committee;
(2)the social worker treating the family;
(3)a supervising team leader, if a person holding such a position exists in the department for social services, who is the supervisor of the social worker treating the family; in this paragraph, "supervising team leader" – a social worker employed in the department for social services who is responsible for a team of workers in the department, as determined by the head of department;
(4)another professional expert designated by the chairperson of the committee, if the chairperson has so designated.

Conditions for Discussion in the Treatment Planning and Assessment Committee§

3b.

Notwithstanding the provisions of section 3a, where the circumstances set out below obtain, the Treatment Planning and Assessment Committee shall be the body to discuss and determine whether a toddler is an at-risk toddler as referred to in section 2:

(1)a discussion was previously held before a committee and modes of treatment for the toddler and the toddler's family were determined therein, and in the opinion of the social worker treating the family, the treatment and assistance attempts provided to the family did not lead to a reduction of the risk in which the toddler is situated;
(2)the matter of the toddler's siblings was discussed before a Treatment Planning and Assessment Committee;
(3)the Youth Court ordered modes of treatment and supervision in relation to the toddler pursuant to section 3 of the Youth (Care and Supervision) Law, 5720-1960;
(4)there is a concern that the toddler is battered as referred to in section 3(1);
(5)there is a real concern that the toddler is at high risk and, in the opinion of the social worker treating the family, the toddler's matter should be brought for discussion before the Treatment Planning and Assessment Committee, even though the provisions of paragraphs (1) to (4) do not apply.

Validity of Committee Decisions§

3c.
(a)Where an At-Risk Toddlers Committee has discussed the matter of a toddler to whom the provisions of section 3b apply, or a Treatment Planning and Assessment Committee has discussed a toddler to whom the provisions of section 3b do not apply, this shall not derogate from the validity of the decisions of those committees.
(b)The matter of a toddler to whom the provisions of section 3b apply that was discussed before an At-Risk Toddlers Committee shall be brought as soon as possible for discussion before the Treatment Planning and Assessment Committee.

Right to a Day Care Centre§

4.
(a)Where a committee has determined that a toddler is an at-risk toddler, the toddler is entitled to stay in a day care centre situated near the toddler's place of residence.
(b)The Minister, with the consent of the Minister of Finance, shall prescribe rules regarding the degree of participation of the person liable for the maintenance of the at-risk toddler in the payment for the toddler's stay in a day care centre, in accordance with income calculation provisions to be published on the website of the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Services.
(c)(Repealed)
(d)
(1)The local authority within whose area the place of residence of the person responsible for the at-risk toddler is situated shall bear 25% of the cost of the at-risk toddler's stay in the day care centre that remains after deducting the amount of participation of the liable person as referred to in subsection (b);
(2)the provisions of paragraph (1) shall not apply in respect of an at-risk toddler whose cost of stay in a day care centre is participated in by the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Services other than pursuant to the provisions of this Law.
(e)The Minister and the Minister of Finance, with the approval of the Minister of the Interior, may, by Order, alter the rate of participation of the local authority referred to in subsection (d).
(f)(Repealed)

Implementation and Regulations§

5.
(a)The Minister is responsible for the implementation of this Law and shall make Regulations for its implementation, including with regard to the modes of referral to the committee and its procedures.
(b)Regulations under this Law, other than under section 4, shall be made with the approval of the Labour, Welfare and Health Committee of the Knesset; the first such Regulations shall be brought for the approval of the Labour, Welfare and Health Committee of the Knesset no later than the 27th of Adar Alef 5763 (1 March 2003).

Commencement§

6.

This Law shall commence on the 29th of Nisan 5763 (1 May 2003).

Gradual Application§

7.

Entitlement to a day care centre shall be applied, pursuant to the provisions of this Law, gradually, until the 26th of Nisan 5768 (1 May 2008), in accordance with Orders to be issued by the Minister and in accordance with the provisions to be prescribed therein, in consultation with the Labour, Welfare and Health Committee of the Knesset.

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