ZAMBOANGA CITY, June 15 (PIA) – The Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO 9) with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) encourages families to provide the children protection through legal adoption and foster care.
There are functional child care centers in the region which operates for 24 hours as residential care that accommodates children and also provides social work intervention. In Region 9 there are currently 41 children in the center. However, not all are eligible for adoption. There are numbers of children who are subject for reuniting with their family or relatives.
The advocacy of RACCO is to give awareness to people regarding the process of legal adoption and foster care, “we would like the families to share their life with a child, providing the child the love, care and understanding for them to feel secured and to have a permanent family,” Jaylin Sahipa, officer in charge of RACCO IX said.
Parents who are interested in adoption, RACCO strongly suggests to pass through the right process and proceedings of legal adoption for proper monitoring of the welfare of the children. There are instances of direct placement without the intervention of the government. “In this case, despite of the good intent to take care of the child but we still have this law to protect them,” Sahipa added.
Meanwhile, foster care program is providing license to foster families who are capable of caring for children, some are rescued children, who are in need for temporary shelter.
“This is temporary but this will mean a lot to the children who needs rescue especially during that time of pandemic where there are victims of abuse,” said Simpson Ansula, Foster Care Focal of RACCO IX.
One of the prerequisite in adoption process is to attend pre-adoption forum to know the motivation of the interested applicants and attend counseling with social workers.
Further, the National Authority for Child Care, through the RACCO-9, leads the annual observance of Adoption and Alternative Child Care Week Celebration with an Adoption Help Desk and Photo Exhibit in two of the biggest malls in Zamboanga City from June 13-14, 2023.
For further question on legal adoption and foster care, you may visit their office or the nearest DSWD offices in your area. (MLE/PIA9-Zamboanga City)
