JUDGES in family courts recently gathered to fast track adoption cases.
“We will be able to map out the best practices in adoption and we should be able to cut off the process of adoption without sacrificing the law,” said by Regional Director Ma. Evelyn B. Macapobre of DSWD during the Focus Group Discussion titled, “Adoption with Family Court Judges at Days Hotel in Iloilo City.”
The said event was attended by 19 family court judges from Regional Trial Court branches within the region and was facilitated by the Adoption Resource and Referral Section (ARRS) and training staffs of DSWD.
Training specialist Josie Cambel said that the goal of the activity is to articulate issues and challenges on adoption processes and requirements, gather good practices and recommendations as well as to initiate collaboration with family court judges in the implementation of adoption laws and to address concerns among courts and the DSWD on the adoption process.
Macapobre added that the length of the present process of adoption would take about nine months to one year which is very lengthy.
She also expressed that the department is concerned on the welfare of these children and very eager to give them a family that could shelter and take care for them.
The event discussed the domestic adoption process which also presented concerns and challenges in relation to the court which was expedited by Ms. Rosalie Dagulo, OIC-Adoption and SWATO of DSWD central office as a focal person and also conversed the inter-country adoption program and its legal aspects facilitated by Atty. Bernadette B. Abejo, Executive Director of Inter-Country Adoption Board as a resource speaker./dswd6/John Sacramento