GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The National Authority for Child Care (NACC), a DSWD-attached agency, has streamlined adoption and foster care services through its “one-stop-shop” approach.
In Soccsksargen, NACC’s Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO) emphasized the importance of establishing a one-stop shop, stating that this would make the adoption process more accessible and convenient for families interested in adopting.
“One-stop shop, dahil hindi nyo na po kailangang mag-pingpong (because you no longer need to deal) with different government agencies in filing a petition,” said lawyer Louie Marie Dadat, legal officer of RACCO, during a recent episode of the “i-Inform Mo” radio program by the Philippine Information Agency Sarangani-General Santos City.
Dadat emphasized that the agency’s core mandate is to provide the most suitable families or foster care for underprivileged Filipino children.
“While we are under the supervision of the DSWD, we operate independently,” Dadat pointed out, noting that RACCO’s “mandate is to place Filipino children in families that are most suitable, prioritizing the best interest of the child.”
RACCO serves as a quasi-judicial body under Republic Act 11642, also known as the Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act of 2022. This act transitioned adoption petitions from judicial proceedings to administrative processes.
The change, consequently, allows individuals or couples to adopt children without needing to appear in court or hire legal representation.
“Hindi nyo na po kailangang pumunta sa korte o kumuha ng abogado para makapag-adopt (You no longer need to go to court or hire a lawyer to adopt),” said Dadat, highlighting the convenience and reduced costs associated with the three-year-old law.
RACCO oversees various child care processes, including domestic and intercountry adoption, foster care, the Certification Declaring a Child Legally Available for Adoption (CDCLAA), the Certificate of Rescission of Birth Announcement (CRBA), and services provided under Republic Act 11222, also known as the Simulated Birth Rectification Act.
Dadat explained that a simulated birth certificate is issued when couples register a child as their biological offspring, despite the child not being biologically theirs.
In that sense, there is falsification and fraud, she said.
To address these circumstances, the government enacted the Simulated Birth Rectification Act, which enables couples to amend their child’s simulated birth records and seek amnesty grants for criminal, civil, and administrative liabilities.
According to Dadat, this amnesty law was created to simplify and lessen the costs of the adoption process for couples who have children with simulated birth records.
She then urged individuals involved in fraudulent acts to report to RACCO for rectification and encouraged them to avail themselves of the amnesty until March 29, 2029.
Dadat also elaborated on the types of domestic adoption processed by RACCO. These include regular adoption for individuals who are adopting a child with no blood relation, relative adoption for those who are related within the fourth degree of consanguinity, stepparent adoption, which permits a spouse to legally adopt their stepchild, and adult adoption for individuals who are 18 years old or older.
For couples or families interested in adopting, RACCO recommends visiting their office for additional information, orientation, and assessment, emphasizing the significance of providing prospective adoptive families with proper guidance at every stage of the adoption process. (SRMP, PIA SarGen)
