The Department of Social Welfare and Development Region XI revealed that a total of 418 children have been issued with certification declaring them legally available for adoption.

Social welfare adoption unit head Sheryl Annie Dumalogdog told the Kapehan sa Dabaw on Monday that 391 children have already been adopted with 17 adopted abroad, such as the United States of America and Europe among other countries. The rest have been adopted locally.

“It is our job as social workers to carefully assess our adoptive families,” Dumalogdog said. “We have to conduct series of home visitations and collateral interviews not only within the adoptive families but also within the neighborhood.”

She added that the practice is required so as to assess whether the couples or the adoptive families are really capable not only financially but as well as morally, physically, socially, spiritually and emotionally.

“For children who are and/or will be placed abroad, we monitor them through our partner, the Inter-Country Adoption Board (Icab). Not a single adopted child has been reportedly abused by his or her adoptive parent,” she said.

In line with the nationwide Adoption Consciousness Celebration 2018, February 10-17 with the theme “PagmamahalPalaganapin, Legal naPag-aamponAting Gawain” the Department of Social Welfare and Development Region XI called on responsible families to give these children a home.

“Adoption is a serious legal subject, as well as a socio-legal process. Apart from urging families to take children under their wing”, she said.

Dumalogdog said that the the DSWD also encourages those parents who have not legally adopted their kids to legalize their adoption, especially those who are guilty of “simulation of birth.” They may file a petition to rectify the situation.

She added that that this is done when certain people tamper with the birth certificate of infants, to make it appear they had given birth to children who are not biologically theirs.

“Although we may see these offenses as being done with good intentions, we would still recommend that these people legalize the adoption, for which DSWD will offer support,” she added. (Edge Davao)