EXPLAINER: What you need to know about adoption

The National Authority for Child Care (NACC) has raised concerns over babies being sold online through Facebook groups. Aside from eliminating these online markets, the agency also raised awareness on how to adopt a child legally.

Here’s what you need to know about legal adoption, based on an infographic posted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development on its social media account.

Implemented by the NACC, the domestic administrative adoption proceeding is a socio-legal process where the Order of Adoption is the primary basis of a legitimate relationship formed between the adopted person and the adopter.

This aims to give way for a child who is legally free, or eligible to be adopted, to be a permanent member of a family.

Who are the stakeholders of adoption?

• Children who are surrendered, abandoned, neglected, foundlings, or those who were already adopted
• Children who are legally available for adoption
• Prospective parents
• Licensed foster families.

What offices or agencies handle the adoption?

• All government residential care facilities, private child-caring agencies or orphanages, local government unit operating facilities, and government and non-government child-caring agencies.
• Inter-country adoption
• Department of Social Welfare and Development local and regional offices
• Inter-Country Adoption Board

For those who plan to adopt their relatives or step-children, they must coordinate with NACC’s Regional Alternative Child Care Office for the requirements and procedure. 

There is also no provision in the law barring unmarried members of the LGBTQ+ community from adopting as long as they meet the requirements for the adoption.

As of Tuesday, NACC said Facebook groups selling babies online were down to five from 23, but authorities continue to monitor as it is easy to create new groups and fabricate identities using fake accounts.—Mariel Celine Serquiña/AOL, GMA Integrated News