The Manila Times
A NEW regulatory program of the National Authority for Child Care (NACC) has accelerated the placement of children from Child-Caring Agencies (CCAs) into permanent homes, the agency’s executive director said on Sunday. NACC Undersecretary Janella Ejercito Estrada pointed to its Standards Accreditation and Monitoring (SAM) program, which involves periodic reporting of caseload inventory and monitors the case management progress for every child by actively coordinating with the Social Work Agencies (SWAs). Under Republic Act 11642, otherwise known as Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act of 2022, the NACC will ensure SWAs’ institutional capacity to implement adoption, foster care, and other forms of alternative child care. “We do not want children aging out in facilities just because their placement to a safe, loving, and permanent family was delayed,” she said. The NACC is an attached agency of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. “We ensure that help interventions are timely and most suitable for every child,” she said. As of March 25, 2026, of the 7,007 admitted children across 224 SWAs, 1,387 were assessed as eligible for adoption, foster care, or other forms of alternative child care. The NACC also ensures the SWAs’ institutional capacity by providing a ladderized capacity-building program and certification. Since its establishment in January 2025, the Standards Accreditation and Monitoring Division has provided training to 339 SWAs and trained 471 social workers nationwide, it said. Accredited by the Professional Regulation Commission, the training sessions further support the professional development of social workers by providing them with earned Continuing Professional Development units and contributing to compliance with license renewal requirements, the former San Juan City vice mayor and daughter of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said. Rigorous certification assessments are also underway to maintain national standards, she said. Forty-four of the 146 SWAs implementing adoption and alternative child care have been assessed, certifying 39 facilities while others process full compliance, according to NACC. Under a memorandum circular issued by DSWD, the NACC has been mandated to provide technical assistance and monitor SWAs that cater to children, the younger Estrada said.
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