THE REGIONAL Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO) XI urged interested individuals or couples to open their homes and foster a child to help combat illegal adoption.
Shayne Sampiano, RACCO XI Domestic Administrative Adoption Unit head, made the pronouncement at the Kapihan sa PIA on Friday, June 14, in line with the Adoption and Alternative Child Care Week celebration.
“Ginapangusgan nato nga magkaroon ta og daghang licensed foster parents, because in the event nga naay makit-an nga bata sa atong mga munisipyo, mabutang na sya sa isa ka lisensyado nga foster family,” Sampiano said.
On June 7, Janella Ejercito Estrada, National Authority for Child Care Undersecretary, raised alarm on over 23 Facebook pages offering illegal adoption and online baby selling.
“I urge our fellow kababayans not to engage in ILLEGAL Adoption as it can harm children and make them vulnerable to child abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. The correct and LEGAL Adoption process should go through the National Authority for Child Care only,” Estrada wrote in a Facebook post.
She said this is part of the advocacy to provide temporary shelter and familial care to children who are neglected, abused, abandoned, family members who are unable or unwilling to provide the child with adequate care, and those awaiting adoptive placement.
As of June, there are only 64 licensed foster parents in the region, 88 foster children under their care. A licensed foster parent is allowed to care for and house up to three foster children.
Sampiano added that foster parents need not worry about funds to care for the children as each child is allocated a cash subsidy of P8,000 and P10,000 for children with special needs.
She, however, said this is to augment their income, which is required before they can apply as a licensed foster parent.
She added the cash subsidy is for their additional medical expenses such as for children who need therapy and maintenance medicine.
RACCO has assigned social workers to continuously monitor through a monthly house visit to check the situation and development of foster children.
As per the National Authority for Child Care (NACC), foster parents will also receive needed support care services such as, but not limited to counseling, training on parenting, child care, and development, respite care, skills training, and livelihood assistance.
Meanwhile, single foster parents are recognized as “Solo Parents” to register for solo parent I.D. and enjoy the benefits. They can register their foster children in Philhealth as their dependents.
Individuals or couples interested in fostering a child may visit the office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development XI to attend in-person foster care orientation every 1 p.m. on the third Monday of the month, and a virtual forum every third Friday of the month.
Attendance at the foster care forum is a prerequisite to their application as it serves as a venue to discuss the process and requirements of foster care and for interested individual/couple to raise their queries and apprehensions about the program.
As of June, RACCO XI received 54 applications for foster care and adoption, mostly relative adoption.
