The National Authority for Child Care (NACC), an attached agency of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), is encouraging more Filipino families to consider opening their homes and apply as foster parents to provide temporary care for children in need of a loving family.
NACC Director Imelda Ronda told DZMM’s Serbisyong DSWD for Every Juan on Saturday (November 1) that there are more than 1,000 licensed foster parents nationwide who are qualified to provide foster care to abandoned, abused, exploited and neglected children.
“Ang foster care po, ito ay pansamantalang pag-aaruga ng isang bata na na-abandon, isinuko, neglected, inabuso, pinag-sinamantalahan, na wala pong mga magulang na mag-aalaga sa kanila. So meron po tayong mga lisensyadong foster parents na willing po na magbigay ng pamilya pansamantala,” Director Ronda explained to DZMM anchors.
Under Republic Act No. 10165, or the Foster Care Act of 2012, the State is mandated to provide children with assistance and special protection from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other conditions harmful to their development.
The law also safeguards the rights of the biological children of foster families, ensuring that they will not be disadvantaged by the presence of a foster child.
Children under foster care also receive a monthly subsidy — Php8,000 for healthy children and Php10,000 for those with special needs. However, the NACC is studying the possibility of proposing amendments to the law to increase the subsidy.
“Actually, pinag-aaralan din po ng NACC na magkaroon po ng amendment din sa batas. Kumbaga, baka pwedeng madagdagan yung subsidy kasi ‘di ba, mahal na yung mga bilihin ngayon, especially po kung nag-aaral na yung bata,” Director Ronda said.
The NACC director also encouraged more Filipinos to apply as foster parents, emphasizing that there is no discrimination in the selection process.
Married couples, solo applicants, and members of the LGBTQ+ community may all apply, as each applicant undergoes a thorough assessment by a social worker to determine their capacity to properly care for a child.
Over 700 children have received temporary care from licensed foster parents under the NACC, according Director Ronda.
Foster care not only benefits children in need of nurturing, but also parents who are willing to share their homes, like couple Vanessa Grace and Donn Albert Torres, who began fostering in 2021.
“There was just so much love to give. ‘Yan po yung pinaka on the top of our list… Napaka-importante po sa amin nung panahon na ‘yon kasi… may mga past misfortunes kami, like miscarriages. Pero nandoon po yung love namin to share this love, and ang pagpo-foster po kasi is really, you know, devotion and advocacy,” Donn Albert said.
The ‘Serbisyong DSWD for Every Juan’ airs every Saturday from 11 am to 12 noon over DZMM Radyo 630 and is anchored by veteran broadcaster Alvin Elchico and co-hosted by Jet Guevara of the DSWD’s Public Relations Service (PRS). (KI)
