Filipino families are urged to undergo legal adoption to protect the welfare of adopted children and ensure that their rights are same as that of biological kids.

In a press conference held during the celebration of the Adoption and Alternative Childhood Care Week (AACCW) on Tuesday, National Authority for Child Care (NACC) executive director Janella Estrada advocated for the end of adoption stigma.

“I hope we can work together to end the stigma of adopted children and adoption. We want to preserve the dignity of every child regardless of their state in life,” Estrada said.

“We want to encourage our countrymen to go through the legal process of adoption. It’s just administrative, not like before that you have to go to court. You no longer need the services of a lawyer, just the services of social workers are needed,” she continued.

The NACC official added that the adoption process now is simpler and easier.

“The adoption process is new, it’s simpler, it’s easier, and it doesn’t need to be expensive,” Estrada said.

“Our goal is to give more children care and love through NACC’s various adoption and alternative child care programs,” she added.

For the Foster Care Program, Estrada said 29 local government units (LGUs) have already signed their memorandum of agreement (MoA) in developing foster parents.

“We want to bring our programs and services closer to our foster families and LGUs through the Philippine Foster Care and Program accreditation of our LGU adoption specialists,” Estrada said.

Meanwhile, 22 LGUs are also currently in the process of signing the same MoA.

“All of them committed to help extend our adoption and fostering program to those in need of a family,” she added.

The AACCW is celebrated every second week of June to advocate and promote legal adoption and alternative child care for Filipino children.