MANILA, Philippines —The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Sunday that qualified prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) may avail of free domestic administrative adoption services through its attached agencies, the National Authority for Child Care (NACC).
NACC director Imelda Ronda said that both application and processing fees are free of charge and prospective parents do not need to avail the services of a lawyer to adopt a child.
Under Republic Act 11642 or the Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act, the legal adoption process 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.
Ronda said more than 6,000 children are currently staying in DSWD-registered, licensed, and accredited child caring agencies, of which almost 2,000 are legally available for adoption.
Those who are interested in becoming PAPs may contact any of the NACC’s Regional Alternative Child Care Office, 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.
Ronda said NACC, which is under the leadership of Executive Director Janella Ejercito-Estrada, would assess the capability of a prospective parent, regardless of his/her gender, meaning even members of the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or question) community can adopt.
“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,” the DSWD official said.
Also, 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 involved in child welfare, and any other professional as needed, the DSWD said.
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,” she said.
There are around 800 licensed foster care parents in the country with more than 1,000 children under their care, the DSWD said.
