The Children’s Services Act 1965 was designed ‘to promote and protect the wellbeing of the children and youth of the State through a comprehensive and co-ordinated program of child and family welfare’. The focus was on the protection of children from neglectful acts and behaviour by parents, and protection from unacceptable living conditions. This act had the full title “An Act to Promote, Safeguard and Protect the well-being of the Children and Youth of the State through a Comprehensive and Co-ordinated Programme of Child and Family Welfare and to Amend “The Adoption of Children Act of 1964″, in certain particulars” (Act no.42/1965) and was repealed and replaced by the Child Protection Act 1999 (Act no.10/1999) in 2000.