Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Tuesday (May 14) confers with members of the Association of Child Caring Agencies (ACCAP) and other stakeholders to discuss the agency’s proposal on the implementation of adoption and alternative child care programs and services in all residential-based facilities catering to children across the country.

The consultation with stakeholders is part of the efforts of the DSWD and its attached agency, the National Authority for Child Care (NACC), to come up with a policy that will strengthen the adoption and alternative child care system in the country.

Joining the Secretary in the Tuesday’s meeting at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City were Undersecretary for Standards and Capacity Building Group (SCBG) Denise Florence FB Bernos-Bragas, Asst. Secretary for SCBG Janet Armas, Asst. Secretary for International Affairs, and Attached and Supervised Agencies Ellaine Fallarcuna, SB Director Megan Therese Manahan, and SB Assistant Bureau Director Cynthia Ilano.

NACC Executive Director, Undersecretary Janella Estrada, and NACC Assistant Secretary Rowena N. Macalintal also participated in the
discussion.

For external partners, Atty. Gwendolyn Pimentel-Gana of the Association of Child Caring Agencies of the Philippines (ACCAP), ACCAP Executive Director Josephine Matol, and representatives from different clusters of Area-Based Standards Network (ABSNET) and other child caring agencies attended the meeting. #