The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through the Standards Bureau (SB), conducted a collaborative meeting with the National Authority for Child Care (NACC) on February 2, 2023, to discuss the possible harmonization of efforts in ensuring that children placed for adoption in Child Caring Agencies (CCAs) and Child Placing Agencies (CPAs) are given quality standard programs.

The SB is the office responsible for ensuring that the quality standards are set in the implementation of social welfare and development (SWD) programs and services of non-profit organizations by overseeing the issuance of DSWD registration, license, and accreditation to those qualified.

NACC Undersecretary Janella Ejercito Estrada, together with NACC Deputy Director for Services Assistant Secretary Madeline Arezu Jam, expressed their concern about the CCAs and CPAs with expired DSWD registration and license but are still applying for the issuance of a Certification Declaring a Child Legally Available for Adoption (CDCLAA).

SB Director, Atty. Justin Caesar Anthony D. Batocabe, stressed that the Bureau is facilitative in terms of assisting Social Welfare and Development Agencies (SWDAs) including the CCAs and CPAs in applying for and renewing their registration, license, and/or accreditation certificates.  The Bureau will also proactively monitor the CCAs and CPAs to ensure that they are not transacting with an expired DSWD registration and license.

For her part, Undersecretary Estrada said that NACC will help in the monitoring of the CCAs and CPAs’ caseload inventory.  The NACC will also submit a report to the DSWD-SB should there be concerns found in the case management of CCAs and CPAs.

The DSWD, through the SB, and the NACC had agreed to continue their collaboration in monitoring the compliance of licensed and accredited CCAs and CPAs to set standards as stipulated in the existing laws to ensure that the sectors served are given the best possible service. ###