Cagayan de Oro City — The Department of Social Welfare and Development is encouraging families to adopt children who are now under its custody.

Elena Palma, social welfare officer for the Department, says that about 12 children in the Regional Reception and Study Center for Children, a residential facility of the DSWD based here are available for foster care or for legal adoption. Their ages range from zero to seven years old. Another nine children are also currently being assessed to be declared as available for adoption.

“There is now an increasing number of children who need families to love them, to take care of them; these little ones need to be integrated with good families and communities which are necessities to the well-being of a child.”

Legal Adoption

Adoption, which is defined as a socio-legal process of providing a permanent family to a child who se parents have voluntarily or involuntarily relinquished parental authority over the child, is the State’s protection of the child which requires sufficient study to make certain that the placement is suitable and presents no hazard to the child’s growth and development.

Adoption is for children who cannot be reared by their biological parents and who need and can benefit from new and permanent family ties.

Republic Act 8552, otherwise known as the Domestic Adoption Act, states that the process of legally adopting a child involves several steps such as application of interested parents, preparation of home study report, approval and disapproval of application, matching or family selection, pre-placement and placement of child, supervised trial custody, finalization of adoption, issuance of adoption decree and amended birth certificate, and conduct of post-adoptive services. This process would usually take six months to a year.

Couples who have underwent the legal adoption process for their adopted children revealed that the process was all worth it — they now have a child that they can love and care for, and who also loves them in return.

Simulation of Birth Certificates

The DSWD also reminds families that simulating birth certificates is punishable under the Philippine Law,. Those found guilty of simulating birth certificate may be punished with imprisonment of six years and one day to 12 years, and a fine not exceeding P50, 000.

DSWD will be observing the Adoption Consciousness Week on February 21-27, 2015 with lined up activities advocating legal adoption.

 

Written by Charmaine P. Tadlas, DSWD