To come up with strategic plans in the delivery of its services, the Adoption Resource and Referral Unit (ARRU) under the Protective and Services Division (PSD conducted its annual Project Review and Evaluation Workshop (PREW), and the Strategic Planning workshop on January 28-29, 2020, at the Amontay Beach Resort, Nasipit Agusan del Norte.

 

The ARRU is one of the units of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) actively implementing the adoption and foster care program of the government. The PREW targets to assess both internal and external factors affecting the present practices of the program. It also aims to generate efficient and effective plans for the technical and administrative concerns of the ARRU-staff and community based-social works.

 

The 2-day activity enabled the participants to share their current practices and innovations, as well as the identified gaps, issues and concerns to motivate good working condition in their respective sections.

 

Since ARRU’s core function is to improve the quality of the management in the placement of children needing alternative parental care- either temporarily or permanently, the ARRU staff provided technical inputs about the adoption process and foster care placement. The staff also discussed on other processes involving adoption and foster care such as: domestic adoption processes, endorsement for Inter-country Adoption Clearance, eligibility assessment, as well as licensing of foster families, and matching of legally available children for adoption.

 

“We believe that the children are the future of tomorrow, as much as possible, even in this time of pandemic, we must give them the best service they deserve, because if we don’t, what will happen then to our future,” Ms. Thesa Joy B. Musa, ARRU Focal Person said.

 

Musa also added that ARRU, as the implementing arm of the department, along with the Alternative Family care, is ensuring that NO CHILD IS LEFT BEHIND, even in this challenging time.