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(NAR) VOL. 7 NO. 1 / JANUARY-MARCH 1996

[ KKPP DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR NO. 02, S. 1995, April 17, 1995 ]

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES FOR INTERREGIONAL ADOPTIVE PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN



Pursuant to Memorandum Circular No. 1 Series of 1994 directing the Bureau of Child and Youth Welfare to handle the interregional adoptive placement of children, the following policies and procedures are hereby promulgated for implementation by all concerned Field Offices:

Policies

1.  All efforts shall be exhausted to place a Filipino child for adoption in the country before intercountry adoption is considered.

2.  Priority shall be given to children available for adoption to facilitate action for immediate placement of the children to their adoptive families.

3.  Participation of DSWD and NGO social workers in the matching process shall be ensured by their presence during matching conferences and/or their review of the child/home studies of child/family matched.

Procedures

1. The Field Directors shall forward the following documents to the Bureau of Child and Youth Welfare within three days upon the issuance of a clearance for the child/adoptive applicants:

1.1 Case studies and pertinent documents

a. Child study and documents of the child; or

b. Home study and documents of the approved adoptive parents/applicants

1.2 Clearance from the Field Director under the following circumstances:

a. there are no available child/approved adoptive applicants upon receipt of child/home studies and documents, e.g. there are no families for a male or older child. In cases like this, clearance may be issued immediately.

b. after a matching case conference, there is no child/approved adoptive applicants and there is no child/family under study who may be eligible. The child need not wait for another matching conference.

2. The Bureau staff shall review the child and home studies within one week after receipt from the Field Offices. The profiles of the child and the adoptive applicants shall be prepared using appendices K and L of Memo Circular No. 1, series of 1994. A list of approved adoptive families and children available for adoption shall be maintained by the Bureau.

3. The Bureau shall inform the Field Offices within five (5) days, the need for any clarification or additional information on child and home studies and shall be responded to not later than five (5) days upon receipt of the Field Offices. No matching shall be done for the child or adoptive applicants unless the said clarification or additional information is received.

4. The Interregional Adoptive Placement Meeting shall be held at the BCYW every Thursday at the BCYW Director’s Office:

The Interregional Adoptive Placement Committee shall consist of the following:

4.1  BCYW SWO V, Chief, Program Development

4.2  BCYW SWO IV, Child Care and Placement

4.3  BCYW SWO III, Child Care Placement

4.4  Social Worker from an NGO or Academe

4.5  Adoption Families Foundation Representative

4.6  Psychologist

4.7  Social Workers of the child/approved adoptive applicants

Three (3) shall constitute a quorum. The BCYW Director shall review the recommendation of the Committee.

5. The BCYW shall inform the social workers of child caring agencies and DSWD centers either through phone, telegram, fax, radio message, five (5) days before the matching to allow them to review approved adoptive applicants and pre-match children under their care. Their choice will be discussed with the Committee during the matching conference.

In some instances, interregional matching may be held at the NCR local matching conference to facilitate placement of children.

6. Executive Directors of NGOs and Field Directors who cannot send their social workers to attend the Interregional matching shall duly inform the BCYW. The child/family shall be reviewed/discussed/matched and the agency will be informed accordingly.

The BCYW shall immediately send to the NGO/DSWD Field Office a copy of the home study of the adoptive family to which the child was matched. Likewise, the NGO/DSWD Field Office shall inform the BCYW its decision of approval/disapproval of the adoptive family matched to their child. The Bureau shall take the appropriate action considering the NGO/DSWD Field Office’s recommendation and decision within one week upon receipt of said recommendation.

7. After the matching and endorsement of the DSWD/NGO concerned, the BCYW shall send the child study of child matched together with the home study of the adoptive family to the Field Office where the homestudy originated. The Field Office shall then share with the NGO/DSWD social worker who shall share with the adoptive family appropriate information on the child. If the child is accepted by the adoptive family, the DSWD Field Director shall inform the BCYW who shall duly inform the DSWD office/NGO from whom the child matched originated.

8. Children not matched shall immediately be cleared and forwarded to the Philippine Intercountry Adoption Unit for the review and matching of the National Placement Committee.

9. A Pre-adoptive Placement Authority (PAPA) shall be prepared by the Bureau for transmittal to the Field Office. The duly accomplished PAPA shall be endorsed by the Bureau for the Secretary’s approval/signature.

10. Pre-adoptive supervision (supervised trial custody) for a period of at least six (6) months shall be the responsibility of the DSWD/NGO social worker who conducted the homestudy on the adoptive family.

10.1   Recordings of the social worker on the pre-adoptive supervision shall be reviewed by the supervisor concerned at least once a month to ensure that the adjustment of the child to the family is being achieved and potential problems are identified, solved and prevented.

10.2   Monthly reports of the child’s adjustment with his/her adoptive family shall be required from the DSWD/NGO social worker to be submitted to his/her Supervisor who in turn forwards the report to the Field Director and submits the same to the Bureau. Such reports may be shared with the child caring agency where the child came from taking into consideration the confidentiality of information such as names and addresses of adoptive families.

11. The Consent to Adoption shall be prepared by the Bureau for the Secretary’s approval upon recommendation of the DSWD Field Director.

12. The Field Office shall ensure that the finalization of the child’s adoption is facilitated. A copy of the Adoption Order shall be forwarded to the Bureau before closure of files.

For compliance.

Adopted: 17 April 1995

(SGD.) LINA B. LAIGO
Acting Secretary
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