Nasipit, Agusan del Norte– The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Caraga (DSWD) through the Institutional Development Division holds a two-day activity labelled as foster and adoptive parents congress last February 23-24, 2015 at Amontay Beach Resort, Nasipit, Agusan del Norte.

Themed as Creating a Better Place to live through a Nurturing Family and Environment, the activity aims to provide opportunities to parents to share their experiences and bring their issues regarding adoption and foster cases, and to advocate for more foster and adoptive families to take care of abandoned, neglected and surrendered children.

Biological parents are the best persons to care and nurture a child. Likewise, every child has the right to grow and be nurtured by a family. However, there are instances when a family is unable to care for a child due to separation, abandonment, illness and extreme poverty. Reasonable efforts must be made to maintain the family who could provide them with love and security.

“Foster care is the most nurturing out-of-home placement for children in need of temporary substitute family care. Though residential facilities are available, still, it is best for the child to grow in a family where a child is given individualized care,” Regional Director Minda B. Brigoli, CESO III shared.

“Dahil ang bawat bata ay mahalaga. Iba-iba man ang kanilang mga hilig, magkaiba man ang paraan kung paano sila pinalaki, ang mabuti at maayos na pag-aalaga sa kanila ay marapat lamang na ipadama maging sino man ang taong umampon sa kanila,” RD Brigoli added.

Substitute parental care requires the need to protect both the child and foster family. Hence, the passage of Republic Act 10165 otherwise known as Foster Care Act of 2012. Adoption as a social work intervention ensures that a family life can be restored to a child deprived of a child’s biological family.

“Considering the foster and adoptive families also encounter challenges in rearing and taking care of children, the Department sees the need to regularly conduct adoptive and foster parent’s congress,” Jessie Catherine B. Aranas, Adoption Resource and Referral Section Focal Person.

“This activity provides a venue for the adoptive and foster children to meet and share their experiences while they are under the care of their adoptive and foster parents. Thus, making this activity an annual celebration,” Aranas exclaimed.

February is considered the Adoption National Consciousness Month. The nationwide activity is themed “Legal na Ampon Ako, Anak na Totoo” (###DSWDCaragaSocialMarketingUnitRyanMalbasTapayan###).