Copyright journal
Qualified prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) may avail of free domestic administrative adoption services from the National Authority for Child Care (NACC), an attached agency of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). “Wala pong binabayaran na any application fee, processing fee sa amin. Wala pong bayad, libre po ang pag-adopt. So hindi po kailangan na kumuha ng abogado ang isang prospective adoptive parent (PAPs) o ang isang indibidwal na gusto po na mag-adopt ng bata,” NACC Director Imelda Ronda said on Saturday (October 25) over DZMM’s Serbisyong DSWD for Every Juan! Under Republic Act (RA) No. 11642 or the “Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act,” the legal adoption process in the country has been made simple as it reduced costs and shortened the waiting time to ensure a faster path to permanent placement for children awaiting their forever homes. More than 6,000 children are currently staying in DSWD-registered, licensed, and accredited child caring agencies, of which almost 2,000 children are legally available for adoption, according to Director Ronda. Those who are interested to become PAPs may contact any of the NACC’s Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO) which have jurisdiction over their area. Eligible PAPs must be at least 25 years old and must have the capacity to become an adoptive parent based on the assessment of social workers. “Kahit single po, kahit miyembro ng LGBTQ+ community, pwede po. Wala po tayong discrimination dahil lahat naman po iyan ay i-aassess ng social worker base po sa inyong kakayanan at hindi sa inyong kasarian,” Director Ronda told DZMM program anchors. Director Ronda explained that the matching process for the placement of adoptive children will be determined based on the best interest of the child and not based on the preference of PAPs. “Ang panuntunan po natin talaga ay kung ano ba ang pangangailangan ng bata, ano yung needs ng bata. Hindi yung needs mo as a prospective adoptive parent,” Director Ronda pointed out. The matching process will be spearheaded by a child placement committee composed of a multidisciplinary team of experts that include a child psychiatrist or psychologist, a medical doctor, a lawyer, an adoption social worker, a representative of a non-government organization (NGO) involved in child welfare, and any other professional as needed. Apart from domestic adoption, Director Ronda also encouraged interested Filipinos to apply as foster parents under the NACC’s foster care program. Foster care provides temporary parental care for children who are abused, abandoned, neglected, or have special needs. It aims to offer them a safe and nurturing family setting through licensed foster parents, serving as a compassionate alternative to institutional care. Director Ronda said there are around 800 licensed foster care parents in the country with more than 1,000 children under their foster care. The ‘Serbisyong DSWD for Every Juan’ airs every Saturday from 11 am to 12 noon over DZMM Radyo 630 and is anchored by veteran broadcaster Alvin Elchico and co-hosted by Jet Guevara of the DSWD’s Public Relations Service (PRS). (AKDL)
