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 open their homes to provide temporary care for children in need of a loving family.
In a statement on Monday, NACC Director Imelda Ronda said 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,” she said.
Under Republic Act 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 — P8,000 for healthy children and P10,000 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,” 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 are welcome to apply, as each applicant undergoes a thorough assessment by a social worker to determine their capacity to care for a child.
Over 700 children have received temporary care from licensed foster parents under the NACC, according to Ronda.
