DSWD-7 Encourages Prospective Adoptive Parents to Attend Pre-Adoption Seminar

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII advises prospective adoptive parents to attend pre-adoption counseling seminar to better understand the steps in legal adoption.

“We have a monthly pre-adoption seminar and this serves as a venue in clarifying misconceptions against adopting children,” said Regional Director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre.

“Interested couples should go through the legal process and not through simulation of birth because it is a crime. It is better to follow the legal process of adoption to ensure our children’s welfare,” added Macapobre.

“It gives both the adoptive parents and adoptee equal rights and obligations similar to those enjoyed by biological parents and their children,” Macapobre said.

Director Macapobre underscored that children are born from the heart and not only from the womb.

Monthly pre-adoption counseling seminar is held every last Thursday of the month at the SWAD-Cebu located at MJ Cuenco Avenue corner Gen. Maxilom Avenue, Brgy. Carreta, Cebu City.

Domestic Adoption Process

Aside from attending the pre-adoption seminar, other steps in domestic adoption include; filing of application for adoption, preparation of home study report of the prospective adoptive parents, approval of home study report, issuance of certification that the child is available for adoption and regional matching.

Matching refers to the judicious pairing of a child with the prospective adoptive parents and family members based on the capacity and commitment of such adoptive parent to meet the individual needs of a particular child and the capacity of such child to benefit from the placement.

During the regional matching, the Child Welfare Specialist Group composed of lawyer, pediatrician, psychologist, registered social worker and NGO representative will be tasked to deliberate the matching of children legally available for adoption.

After the matching, the pre-placement of the child with the prospective adoptive parent will follow in preparation for the eventual placement.
When the placement is done, the prospective adoptive parent can now file the petition for adoption in court.

Once the court serves the certificate of finality or the adoption decree, the child can now have his or her amended birth certificate.

The prospective adoptive parents will spend for securing the documents and requirements for adoption but the services of DSWD for adoption is free.

From January to September 2016, DSWD Field Office VII has already matched and placed 11 children for domestic adoption and 12 for inter-country adoption.

Currently, there are 35 children issued with certification declaring legally available for adoption.