DSWD: 16 children in Central Luzon ready for legal adoption

A TOTAL of 16 children are now ready for legal adoption, giving a chance to families who wish to adopt, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The DSWD said its Central Luzon office has already endorsed a total of 19 children for legal adoption -- 16 were placed through local adoption, while three were endorsed for inter-regional/inter-country adoption.

The children for adoption are 10 males and nine females with an age ranging from one year to 15 years old.

The DSWD said the children are from Zambales (7), Bulacan (4), Pampanga (4), Nueva Ecija (2), Aurora (1) and Tarlac (1).

DSWD issued one of the most important certifications as prerequisite for adoption. Under Republic Act 9523, the State requires for the CDCLAA or Certificate Declaring the Child as Legally Available for Adoption as an essential requirement for adoption proceedings.

This is to ensure that all possible actions to help the children be reintegrated with their families or closest relatives, and other psychosocial interventions were done prior their clearance to be legally adopted.

DSWD Central Luzon has issued a total of 557 CDCLAAs from 2009 to June 2019. Some 47 children are expected to be presented in a Local Matching Conference for Adoption.

While the department and other non-governmental residential care facilities provide the basic needs of children who are available for adoption, it is always better if they have a family they can call their own.

For more information on legal adoption, visit https://adoption.dswd.gov.ph/.