The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and its attached agency, the National Authority for Child Care (NACC), held a meeting last January 31 to discuss ways at improving the provision of services to children with disabilities under the NACC’s Foster Care Program.

Based on the NACC data, 152 out of 1,100 or 13.81 percent of children placed in foster care have disabilities such as neurodevelopmental disability, mental/intellectual disability, and orthopedic disability, among others.

To provide the necessary services and appropriate interventions for children with disabilities placed under the foster care program, DSWD Asst. Secretary Ada Colico of the Statutory Programs under Operations Group and Asst. Secretary Rowena Macalintal, NACC’s Deputy Director for Operations, committed to work together to strengthen the implementation of the DSWD Memorandum Circular No. 32, series of 2024, or the Operational Guidelines for Managing Movement of Cases of Children to Promote Deinstitutionalization in Residential Care Facilities (RCFs) and Child-Caring Agencies.

Other DSWD personnel who were present in the Jan. 31 meeting include representatives from the Program Management Bureau (PMB) Danilo Deinla and Maricel Abog-Bringas; and NACC representatives, Gina Escalante, Cessna Vie Macula, Mary Jane Casala, and Marven Mosquida. (AKDL)