‘CHILDREN ARE NOT FOR SALE’: Parents in crisis urged to choose legal child surrender over abandonment

The National Authority for Child Care (NACC) has urged parents facing severe personal, social, or financial hardships to take the legal route of voluntarily surrendering their children instead of abandoning them.

NACC Undersecretary Janella Ejercito Estrada stressed that child abandonment places children at risk and deprives them of their rights to identity, protection, and family care.

While emphasizing that biological parents remain the primary caregivers of children, Estrada said the government has established a legal and compassionate system for parents who believe they can no longer adequately care for their child. Through the execution of a Deed of Voluntary Commitment (DVC), parents may legally surrender a child after undergoing counseling and receiving necessary interventions.

The agency cited Republic Act No. 11767, or the Foundling Recognition and Protection Act, which was enacted in 2022 to strengthen safeguards for foundlings. The law automatically recognizes foundlings as natural-born Filipino citizens and guarantees them access to government services and protection.

Under the law, foundlings are entitled to immediate assistance, including health services, protection against discrimination, registration and issuance of birth documents, as well as placement under adoption or alternative child care programs such as foster care, kinship care, and family-like care.

Since 2023, the NACC has facilitated alternative child care services for hundreds of foundlings nationwide. Data from the agency showed that 308 children were declared legally available for adoption. Of the total, 157 were granted Orders of Adoption through the Domestic Administrative Adoption program, 34 were adopted through the Inter-Country Adoption program, while 160 foundlings were placed with licensed foster families.

The NACC also warned parents against illegal adoption arrangements and acts that may expose children to trafficking, exploitation, and abuse. Instead, parents in crisis are encouraged to seek assistance from municipal or city social welfare offices, residential care facilities, child caring agencies, child placing agencies, Department of Health-accredited medical facilities, or the NACC’s Regional Alternative Child Care Offices (RACCOs).

The agency emphasized that support services remain available through local government units and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, including counseling, financial assistance programs such as Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), livelihood support through the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), and the ProtecTEEN program for adolescent parents.

The NACC also assured the public that the legal adoption and alternative child care process has been simplified and made more affordable. Adoption petitions are filed directly with RACCOs, and qualified applications may be approved within nine months.

Meanwhile, the agency reminded the public to immediately report foundlings to authorities, social workers, government hospitals, or accredited safe havens within 48 hours. Individuals who discover abandoned children are likewise required to execute an affidavit detailing the circumstances of the discovery.

The NACC also cautioned against the spread of misinformation and sensationalized social media posts involving foundlings, stressing that such cases must be handled with respect for the child’s dignity, privacy, and rights. It warned that those spreading false information online may face liability under the Cybercrime Prevention Act and other applicable laws.

For inquiries on voluntary surrender, adoption, and foster care, the public may visit the official website of National Authority for Child Care.