A LEGAL officer of the Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO) XI urged the public to pursue legal channels to secure the welfare of abandoned and foundling children.
Atty. Kristelle May Cagatin, legal officer of RACCO Davao, called local government units to develop foster families and implement foster care programs.
During the Kapehan sa Dabaw on Monday, June 22, RACCO Davao reported that the region currently has 50 accredited foster parents, who have foster children.
The agency reported there are already 63 foster children in the whole region.
“Aside from the general public, we wanted our LGUs to develop foster families as the number of abandoned children increases, and it is better to have one-on-one care rather than putting them in an institution,” Cagatin said.
LGUs with foster family programs include Davao City; Sta. Cruz, Digos, Malalag, and Sulop of Davao del Sur; Malita and Don Marcelino of Davao Occidental; Panabo, Tagum of Davao del Norte; Monkayo of Davao de Oro; and Lupon, Davao Oriental.
Under RA 10165, or the Foster Care Act, qualified foster parents must be of legal age, at least 16 years older than the child (a requirement waived for relatives) and must demonstrate genuine interest, capacity, and commitment in parenting and able to provide familial atmosphere for the child.
“One of the misconceptions of the foster care program is nag-apas lang ang parents sa subsidy pero dili kana ang ginatanaw, ato gyud gina suta ang financial capacity,” she said.
Foster parents receive a monthly subsidy of P8,000, which increases to P10,000 for children with special needs.
Social workers will also assess if the foster parent can provide a healthy and harmonious relationship with each family member.
“We are looking at the best interest for the child, when we say best interest is the totality of the circumstances, not just financial, or genuine interest, but the right placement of the foster child,” she said.
RACCO Davao is also conducting pre-adoption and foster care forums to raise public awareness, targeting child-caring agencies, orphanages, churches, and LGUs.
Cagatin also called for legal adoption as under Republic Act 11642, adoption has been shifted to an administrative process, removing the need for court proceedings and significantly shortening the timeline.
She said the process can now be completed within six to nine months, provided all documentary requirements are complete, including a mandatory appearance to issue the order of adoption.
Before a child can be adopted, the child must first be declared legally available for adoption through the Certificate Declaring a Child Legally Available for Adoption (CDCLAA).
Following the creation of the National Authority for Child Care in 2022, RACCO XI recorded 162 children who were issued CDCLAA.
Out of 162, there are 80 who have Order of Adoption, meaning their placement in a foster family has been legalized.
Meanwhile, 73 of 162 have ongoing petitions, where seven are for matching, and two are intercountry adoption cases and have been closed.
At present, there are 17 cases placed in residential care facilities, and 10 are in child-caring agencies, totaling 27, where 21 already have an Order of Adoption, and six are ongoing petitions for adoption.
