Under Republic Act No. 11642, also known as the Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act, the Inter-Country Adoption Board (ICAB) will be reorganized to a one-stop quasi-judicial agency on alternative child care known as the National Authority for Child Care (NACC), attached to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Hence, all duties, functions, and responsibilities of the ICAB, the DSWD, and those of other government agencies relating to alternative child care and adoption are hereby transferred to the NACC. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), in coordination with the ICAB and the DSWD, shall formulate a cohesive organizational structure with corresponding positions responsive to fulfill the functions and divisions of the NACC.

The NACC, as provided, shall ensure that the petitions and all other matters involving alternative child care, including the issuance of Certificate Declaring a Child Legally Available for Adoption (CDCLAA), and the process of domestic and inter-country adoption, foster care, kinship care, family-like care, or residential care are “simple, expeditious, and inexpensive, and will redound to the best interest of the child involved.

During the existing processes of alternative child care under DSWD, for inter-country adoption cases, no changes will be made in the process of inter-country adoption and issuance of the certification of a child legally available for adoption. However, for domestic adoption cases and as provided in section 56 of RA 11642, judicial petitions for domestic adoption pending in court upon effectivity of the law may be withdrawn and filed before the NACC.

RA 11642 also mandates the creation of a Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO) for each region of the country including here in Caraga which will be tasked to ensure a well-functioning system of receipt of local petitions for CDCLAA and adoption, other requests regarding alternative placement, and well-being of children.

Prior to its enactment on January 6, 2022 and the issuance of its IRR on January 28, 2022, the DSWD Field Office Caraga through its Adoption Resource and Referral Section (ARRS) has been intensifying the information dissemination of the new law since last year through series of provincial consultations in Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Dinagat islands in preparation of the three (3) year transmission period.

This may seem a bitter-sweet goodbye for the Department who’s been spearheading the Adoption Consciousness Celebration since 1999, but the Agency will still continue to work with NACC and RACCO to ensure the efficient and effective implementation of the new guidelines in order to uphold the best interest of Caraganon children.