Adoption and child care week culminates

CEBU, Philippines — With the hope of giving every child a loving home, the Regional Alternative Child Care Office VII (RACCO-7) culminated its month-long celebration in line with the 3rd Adoption and Alternative Child Care Week on June 27 at a hotel in Cebu City.

Anchored on the theme “Hope and Home for Every Child”, the event highlighted the agency’s continuing efforts to strengthen alternative child care in Central Visayas through legal adoption and foster care programs.

RACCO-7 officer-in-charge Concepcion Solera said the celebration was not just a series of activities, but a testament to the dedication of social workers and child welfare advocates in securing permanent, nurturing environments for children in need.

So far, 31.8% of adoption cases in the region are progressing toward finalization, with a 78.5% matching success rate, reflecting improved mechanisms in linking children with suitable adoptive families.

In the foster care program, 70 children have been successfully placed in temporary homes. Solera also reported that 62 foster families have been recruited, trained, and continuously supported by RACCO-7.

Of these placements, 86.43% have already met permanency goals, a sign of the region’s growing success in securing long-term care for children outside of institutional settings.

The event featured a film titled “Voices from the Heart”, where an adoptive parent, a foster parent, and an adopted child shared their personal journeys.

Solera emphasized that RA 11642 has made adoption simpler, more affordable, and accessible, encouraging more families to consider legal adoption.

Republic Act 11642, or the Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act, has streamlined the adoption process in the Philippines by removing judicial proceedings and placing administrative authority under the National Authority for Child Care, making legal adoption less costly and more efficient.

As RACCO-7 continues to collaborate with local government units, child-placing agencies, and community organizations, Solera underscored the agency’s unwavering mission: that no child should grow up without the love, care, and protection of a family.

“This is a shared responsibility. We all have a role to play in ensuring that no child is left behind,” she added.

Feeding program

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 recently commended local government units (LGUs) across Central Visayas for their exemplary implementation of the Supplementary Feeding Program, which has significantly improved the nutritional status of thousands of children in the region.

The recognition was part of the 2025 Program Implementation Review, held separately in Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Cebu, and Bohol.

DSWD-7 cited LGUs that recorded sustained improvements in child nutrition across three consecutive program cycles with an average improvement rate of 81% in the nutritional status of children enrolled in LGU-managed daycare centers.

DSWD-7 said the improvement was based on key indicators such as reductions in stunting, wasting, and being underweight among children.

The program's success was largely attributed to the consistent provision of hot meals and milk for at least 120 feeding days, along with sustained advocacy for proper nutrition practices both in schools and at home.

Educational components such as food preparation training and healthy eating workshops for children and parents also played a vital role in reducing malnutrition rates across the region.

To support accurate reporting and evidence-based policymaking, DSWD also provided LGUs with technical assistance in data collection, monitoring, and reporting.

DSWD also recognized LGUs that consistently complied with reportorial requirements, including the timely submission of nutritional, liquidation, and monitoring reports, and those named best implementers of the SFP for Cycle 14. — Raphael Veloso, CNU intern (FREEMAN)