Year 2010 marked the 35th year of Kaisahang Buhay Foundation’s existence in the field of child and family welfare and development services. Our 2010 targets were generally met, with our best efforts, to meet the standards of services set by the Department of Social welfare and Development (DSWD).
This year we were visited by our partner agencies namely Holt International Children’s Services, USA and Les Amis Enfant du Monde (AEM), France and they expressed their satisfaction over the performance and accomplishments in each of the services they are supporting. Even with the economic crunch felt worldwide, our partners have given us the assurance of their continuing support and assistance namely:
A. Holt supports the following:
1. Inter-country Adoption USA
2. Domestic Adoption Service
3. Foster Care Service
4. Service for Single Mothers
5. Day Care Service
6. Family and Community Outreach
7. Sponsorship Service
B. AEM supports the following:
1. Day Care Service
2. Independent Living and Educational Assistance
3. Service for Single Mothers
C. Terre des Hommes-Germany supports the following:
1. Domestic Adoption Service
2. Foster Care Service
3. Environmental Protection through the Material Recovery Facility
D. Sourire’s d’ Enfants (SDE) supports the Independent Living and Educational Assistance.
E. Wereldkinderen supports the Day Care Service.
Thus, we express our deepest gratitude to God for the continuing support KBF receives from its partners which enable us to pursue our vision of “Every Child Deserves a Loving and Permanent Family”.
Further, we acknowledge the steadfast commitment and support of the KBF Board of Trustees to the Vision, Missions and Goals of the foundation. Specifically the missions are: Family Preservation, Family Reunification and Permanent Placement. Our objectives are:
1. Ensure that a family is given a chance to remain whole and is able to keep their children.
2. Promote the return of the child to the birth family.
3. Advocate for the nurturance and protection of children and for them to have a permanent family of their own.
4. Provide professional social services for the welfare and development of children, youth, women, family and community.
5. Develop dynamic and productive partnership in the field of child, youth, women, family and community welfare and development with government & non-government agencies.
Our thrusts for 2011 are basically the same as that of 2010:
1. To recruit more local adoptive families and foster families.
2. To increase the number of single mothers bring home their babies and not to leave them for adoption.
3. To give hope to the youth who were abandoned by their families and were not adopted to become self-reliant through education.
4. To continue empowering the families and youth in our covered barangays/ villages by providing seminars on value formation, capability building, effective parenting, skills training as well as capital assistance for income generating projects to augment the family income to improve quality of life.
5. To promote environmental protection and sanitation.
6. To advocate further for more NGOs to implement Domestic Adoption and Foster care.
As we face the year 2011, we join our hands and hearts to keep our hope alive for “ Every child to have a loving and permanent family”. This hope must never die.
II. 2010 STATISTICAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
| SERVICES | 2010 TARGET | ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
| 1. Domestic Adoption | 45 | 35 |
| 2. Inter-Country Adoption | 20 . | 35 a.) HOLT-USA – 17 b.) Europe – 8 |
| 3. Foster Care | 30 | 34 |
| 4. Single Mother | 60 | 60 |
| 5. Day Care | 300 | 300 |
| 6. Independent Living and Educational Assistance(ILEA) | 16 | 13 |
| 7. Family and Community Outreach | 800 | 1,506 |
| 8. Family Reunification | 30 | 15 |
| 9. Family Preservation | 40 | 99 |
Reasons for not meeting the targets:
1. Domestic Adoption – securing certification from the Department of Social Welfare and Development that a child is legally available for adoption is causing delays in finding homes/families for these children
2. For the Independent Living and Educational Assistance (ILEA) – Due to the reduction/delay of support of Sourires d’Enfants (SDE) to ILEA because of the economic crisis in Belgium, we decided to reduce the number of scholars.
3. Family Reunification – Referrals for foster care from other agencies were older children with developmental delays thus reunification with their families who sought “temporary care” for them is a challenge.
III. HIGHLIGHTS OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
A. DOMESTIC ADOPTION:
Highlights:
1. Conducted twelve (12) regular pre-adoption fora every 2nd Friday of the month. There were one hundred forty-five (145) couples and individuals attended the adoption fora. Attendance to the forum is one of the requirements for adoption. Topics discussed are the documental requirements, socio-judicial process, when-how to tell the child that he/she is an adopted child and searching for the roots (biological family), adjustment/bonding, among others.
2. Every second week of February is declared “Adoption Consciousness Week” in the Philippines. This year, the theme is “Adoption is Showing Love to Filipino Children”. Our agency always participates actively in this yearly celebration to increase awareness of the advantage of legal adoption. KBF actively participates through Radio and Television interviews for advocacy.
3. On February 10, 2010, adoption social workers attended the Adoption Forum at Makati City Hall. The resource speaker discussed about local adoption procedures and legal concerns on the new law Philippine Republic Act 9523*. It was attended by GO, NGO, LGU, court, and medical social workers, midwives, Association od Child Caring Agencies in the Philippines (ACCAP) and National Statistics Office (NSO) representatives. Concerns/Observations that IRR of RA 9523 is actually going contrary to the purpose of the law which is to shorten the process of domestic adoption.
4. Ms. Melissa Moran, KBF Board of Trustees member and KBF adoptive mother shared her adoption story in one of the Pre-adoption fora to encourage prospective adoptive parents to pursue their adoption plan.
5. The three (3) domestic adoption social workers continue to attend upgrading seminars such as the workshop entitled “The Adoption Home Study Report: A First Step in Developing a Lifelong Adoptive Families”.
6. “Summer Get Together” of the Adoptive Families Foundation (AFF) as a continuing activity in strengthening the bonding of adoptive families and their adoptive children.
Challenges:
1. The implementation of the new law RA 9523 (An Act Requiring the Certification of the DSWD to Declare a “Child Legally Available for Adoption” as a Prerequisite for Adoption Proceedings) seems to lengthen the adoption process. Since the law is new, many social workers and child caring agencies are still adapting to the implementing rules and regulations especially in the local government units.
2. The implementation of the Administrative Order 11 Omnibus Guidelines on Domestic Adoption (centralizing the domestic adoption process to the Central Office of the DSWD) delays the presentation of the families for matching. In the past, KBF would submit dossiers of the prospective adoptive parents to the DSWD regional office and easily presents the families for matching in the regional level but now, after the endorsement to DSWD regional office, the sixteen (16) regional offices of the DSWD would endorse the prospective adoptive families’ dossier to the DSWD central office for review and then for nationwide matching conference. The AO needs to be reviewed to remedy the concerns on the Guidelines.
3. Intensifying advocacy through churches and organizations on adoption to stop “adopting” abandoned children without going through the legal adoption process.
B. INTER-COUNTRY ADOPTION:
Highlights:
1. Close coordination with Inter-Country Adoption Board (ICAB) regarding the status of HOLT International Children’s Services , Les Amis Enfants du Monde (AEM), Sourires d’Enfants (SDE) and Wereldkinderen adoptive families. Ms. Jennifer Goethe, Program Director for South and Southeast Asia of HOLT visited KBF services and different child caring agencies in Metro Manila and Region VII. Mike Noah, Kristine Swinson and Susie Doig also from the Holt International Children’s Services also visited agencies in Cebu, Leyte, Cagayan de Oro receiving sponsorship grants from Holt and paid courtesy call to ICAB.
2. With the encouragement of Holt, KBF organized the Ambassador Program of Lutheran Social Services USA on June 20 – July 1, 20101. This program aims to help find adoptive families of children ages 7-14 years old under the Special Home Finding of ICAB.
3. On March 1-11,2010 the Les Amis Enfant du Monde (AEM) Team ( Benedicte Brocard and Louie Marie Sourice) visited the KBF services that they are helping: Independent Living and Educational Assistance (ILEA) Service for Single Mothers and Day Care Service.
4. Two families: one from TDH-Germany and one from SDE- Belgium came to search for the relatives of Patrick Timpe, adopted child from Basey Samar and Christopher Lesenfants from Cebu City respectively. KBF facilitated the post adoption service.
Challenges:
1. Decreasing number of adoption application due to ICAB’s additional requirements specifically on medical and psychological status of applicants and the moratorium limiting to ten applicants per year per foreign adoption agency.
2. The ICAB’s Moratorium concerning prospective adoptive applicants worldwide that are approved by ICAB, only those 2008 approved families are now open for matching. The 2009 approved families will be available for matching once the 2008 families are already served. Thus, withdrawal of application of prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) are increasing. These PAPs are now applying to other countries. Thus more children available for adoption are growing old in child caring agencies and will never be adopted. What will happen to them?
C. FOSTER CARE:
Highlights:
1. On March 5, 2010, the two (2) foster care social workers attended the Orientation on the Omnibus Guidelines on Domestic Adoption at the Department of Social Welfare and Development – National capital region (DSWD- NCR).
2. Quarterly upgrading and meeting of the licensed foster families to discuss concerns and effective ways in taking care of foster children.
3. Monthly well- baby check up at The Medical City to monitor the health and development of the foster children. This is the outreach program of The Medical City where KBF babies are given free quality service and free vitamins and some vaccinations.
4. Continuous counseling to the birthmothers with focus of reunification and/or plans for their children.
5. Continuous attendance to local and inter-country matching conferences to facilitate placement of children for adoption.
6. Regular home visits to foster care families to ensure that the children are well taken care of by the foster families.
7. Continuous recruitment of volunteer foster families to defray on overhead expenditures.
Challenges:
1. Approval of the project proposal to Terres des Hommes (TDH) Germany for the extension of the grants to finance and support the foster care service and domestic adoption service.
2. Recruitment of more volunteer foster families to reduce overhead expenses in terms of subsidy to foster families.
3. Incomplete and /or no available documents from the referring agencies of children who are for the declaration of abandonment and adoption.
4. Delayed process on the issuance of Certification that the Child is Legally Available for Adoption from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) thus making the children stay longer with their foster families.
D. DAY CARE SERVICE:
Highlights:
1. Assessment of nursery children on their readiness to enter kindergarten for the school year 2011-2012 from the six (6) day care centers and the readiness of the Kindergarten students to enter Grade 1.
2. The inability of the Barangays to fulfill its responsibilities in the operation of the day care service as stipulated in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).
3. In April-May 2010, the day care workers enhanced their lesson plans and teaching materials in preparation for the next school year 2010-2011 and for the DSWD accreditation which is every three years.
4. Executive Director Rosario B. dela Rosa, Cynthia Rigor and Nimfa Pallanan (day care workers) had a meeting with the Barangay Captain of Escopa 1 Barangay Captain Mario Morales to clarify their responsibilities for the continuity of the day care service at Escopa 1. The Barangay Chairman expressed his full support and will insure that their responsibility stipulated in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) will be fulfilled by them.
5. Executive Director Rosario B. dela Rosa, Cynthia Rigor and Crisanto Torres (day care workers) had a meeting with the Barangay Captain Dominador Velasquez of Industrial Valley Complex (IVC) Olandes regarding the repair/ renovation of the day care center in the barangay which was underwater during typhoon Ondoy. It was agreed that they will provide the laborers while KBF will provide the building materials.
6. On June 2-5 and June 9-10, 2010, the day care workers conducted parents orientation on their responsibilities and counterpart in the day care service including supplemental feeding. The parents elected the members of the different committees: menu preparation, marketing, cooking, feeding and cleaning.
7. On June 21, 2010, classes in the six (6) day care centers for the school year 2010-2011 started .
8. Twelve (12) day care families were referred for family casework to prevent further family dysfunctionalities and possible breakdown.
9. July, 2010, is “Nutrition Month Celebration”. The six (6) day care centers emphasized the importance of proper hygiene and nutrition of children. The village health workers conducted “Health and Nutrition Fora” for parents. Deworming, medical check-ups were done and lecture on proper brushing of teeth was discussed. Toothbrushes/toothpastes were distributed from donors.
10. October, 2010 is ”Children’s Month”. The theme: “Kung Bright Child and Gusto, Mundo’y Iingatan Mo” (To Raise a Smart Child, Help Care for Mother Earth). Activities were quiz bee, poster and slogan making focused on the theme and sports fest for the 300 day care children.
11. Continuous bi-monthly meetings with the parents to discuss issues and concerns of the day care children and the duties of the parents in strengthening the day care service.
12. On September 27, 2010, inauguration of the Olandes day care center in commemoration to the typhoon Ondoy that devastated the day care center and the entire village. The repair of the day care center was made possible through the help of the HOLT grant and Wereldkindren’s support and local contributions.
E. INDEPENDENT LIVING AND EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE (ILEA):
Highlights:
1. Scholars’ meeting every 1st Sunday of the month to discuss issues and concerns with their studies and their household chores.
2. On January 23, 2010, Ms. Helen Orita, social worker together with five (5) scholars attended a seminar on “Teens Understanding on Sexuality” conducted by Pro-Life Philippines and echoed to the other scholars.
3. The Van Beek-Uffen, adoptive family from Wereldkinderen – The Netherlands offered to sponsor and finance the education of one (1) scholar.
4. The Lesenfants, adoptive family from Belgium also signify to support and help one (1) scholar in his/her education.
5. On February 20, 2010, five (5) scholars attended a forum on “ Effective Communication” held at the Trinity University of Asia in Quezon City and echoed to the other scholars.
6. Four (4) scholars namely Romnick Toledo, Precy Manlapaz, Mary Jane Repol and Mary Jane Yap maintained their top 1, top 5 and top 10 ranking in their classes respectively.
7. Romnick Toledo got the first prize in a drawing contest and 2nd prize in the slogan making contest at Juan Sumulong High School.
8. Jessica Demafiles and Edna Cuvillo graduated from a six-month vocational course on Commercial Cooking on March 8, 2010. Edna Cuvillo was second honor in their class/ batch. Jessica is now employed and Edna is pursuing a two-year course on Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM).
9. Scholars had their summer outing at Villa Lorenza, Pililia Rizal. They enjoyed and had fun.
10. Scholars attended the Resilience Program (REPRO) seminar which started on April 6,2010 until June 26, 2010. REPRO’s objective is to help/enable scholars to bounce back despite their negative experiences and the abandonment by their families.
11. Joana Cabias got the third(3rd) prize in essay writing contest, with the topic “Mary, Mother of Jesus”. Joanna is 18 years old but has a mental age of nine (9) thus, she is only in Grade 5
12. Director Rosario dela Rosa was invited to attend the Holt Summer institute in July 2010 wherein she had the opportunity to present and discuss the Independent Living and Educational Assistance and thankful of the assurance of Holt to support the service. This is the only service not supported by Holt.
13. So far, the following help the education of the ILEA scholars:
a. Les Amis Enfant du Monde (AEM)
b. Sourires d’ Enfants (SDE)
c. M/M Lesenfants from Belgium
d. M/M Galama from The Netherlands
e. M/M Van Beek- Uffen from Werelkinderen- The Netherlands
f. Ms. Marijo Pacheco
F. SERVICE FOR SINGLE MOTHERS
Highlights:
1. Jo Ann de Larrazabal, KBF volunteer childbirth educator was featured in “Astig and Heroes” of Bandila one of ABS-CBNs program. The story is about a woman who advocates and helps promote women empowerment. She is the inspiration and advocate in the establishment of KBF Birthing Room in 2005.
2. Mr. Dan Lauer and Ms. Susan Doig from Holt International Children’s Services and Mr. Jean Mallet, Ms. Vivianne Baltenneck and Ms. Brigitte Briant of Les Amis Enfants du Monde of France visited Nazareth Home in December 2010 and were thrilled because during their visit, a single mother was delivering her baby in the Birthing Room.
3. On May 24, 2010, Cindy Buagnin, social worker of Service for Single Mothers attended the historic promulgation by the Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Esperanza Cabral on the DOH Administrative Order requiring Tobacco Companies to put Graphic Health Information on bad effects of cigarettes in their products.
4. Continuous conduct of childbirth education to the single mothers by Ms. Jo Ann de Larrazabal.
5. The University of the Philippines Social Work Students conducted a group work activity to single mothers focusing on the Gender Sensitivity and Empowerment.
6. Continuyous coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the outreach programs conducted by several groups of volunteers for the single mothers.
7. Transportation assistance were provided to six (6) mothers who decided to go back to their families with their babies.
Challenges:
1. Lack of funds to provide transportation assistance to the mothers who would like to go home in the province with their babies.
2. The increasing number of mothers who would like to bring home their babies need financial support to start a small business to suport their needs especially their babies.
3. The increasing number of hospital births due to young and complicated pregnancies that resulted to higher hospital expenses. Most of the cases are victims of incest and rape.
4. Four(4) cases referred to Service for Single Mothers are survivors of sexual abuse and have court cases. The social worker has to attend court hearings.
5. Eight (8) pregnant mothers admitted to Service for Single Mothers are all survivors of sexual abuse and all of them have developmental delays.
G. FAMILY AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH SERVICE:
Highlights:
1. On April 14, 2010, the community worker attended the forum on the National Targeting System for Poverty Reduction conducted by the DSWD.
2. On May 18, 2010, the community worker attended the forum on HIV/AIDS which was conducted by the representatives from NAZ Foundation, a non-government organization in India, on their experiences in caring for children infected with HIV/AIDS. In turn, the community worker conducted echo seminars in the six (6) communities covered by KBF.
3. On June 23,2010, the community worker attended the forum on the “Study of Schistomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis among Pre-School Age Children” held at the Council for the Welfare of Children. The information is incorporated in the PES Seminar.
4. As of June 2010, Ninety-six (96) families were referred to Kabalikat para sa Maunlad na Buhay, Inc. (KMBI) for additional capital assistance. These mothers have their existing businesses which is the primary requirements for grant provision. Their applications are still being assessed. The additional capital assistance is to ensure sustainability of the income generating projects.
Challenges:
1. Sustainability of the newly organized group on livelihood.
2. The possibility of reconstruction of the Material Recovery (MRF) to expand the “Reduce, Re-use, Re-cycle and Re-sell” project.
3. Project proposals are submitted for supplemental feeding, livelihood service and sponsorship/educational assistance to help children of disadvantaged families, informal settlers in the six (6) villages covered by KBF especially the out –of-school youth.
4. Sustainability of the people’s organization
H. FAMILY PRESERVATION ( Service for Single Mothers, Day Care Service and Family and Community Outreach)
There were two hundred thirty- seven (237) families enabled to remain together and did not give up their children to child caring agencies. These families came from the Service for Single Mothers, Day Care Service and Family and Community Outreach.
Mothers and families were provided psycho-social- spiritual counseling, parent effectiveness (PES), empowerment and re-affirmation of paternal abilities (ERPAT) seminars, marriage counseling, skills training and capital assistance for income generating projects as mitigating measures to prevent separation of children from their families.
I. FAMILY REUNIFICATION (Children Returned to Birth Families)
There were fifteen (15) children from foster care service returned to birth families. The referral of children to foster care came from the Service for Single Mothers, walk-in and other child caring agencies. Efforts were done by the social workers for biological mothers to sustained their jobs and reconcile with their families enabling them to get back their children.
J. SPONSORSHIP SERVICE ( Outreach and Family Rehabilitation)
Grants from Holt International Children’s Services given to child caring agencies to help improve quality of service to children in care
| Agency | No. of Sponsored Children |
| 1. DSWD-Region III-RSCC Lubao | 10 |
| 2. DSWD-Region V-RSCC Legaspi | 10 |
| 3. DSWD- Region VII-RSCC Cebu | 10 |
| 4. DSWD-Region VIII-RSCC Tacloban | 10 |
| 5. DSWD-Region IX-RSCCZamboanga | 10 |
| 6. DSWD-Region XI-RSCC Davao | 10 |
| 7. DSWD – Region VIII Foster Care Tacloban | 10 |
| 8. DSWD- Region IX Foster Care Zamboanga | 10 |
| 9. Asilo Dela Milagrosa, Cebu City | 10 |
| 10. Bethany Christian Home for Children, Bukidnon | 10 |
| 11. Baethany Sto.Niño, Bulacan | 10 |
| 12. Concordia Children’s Services | 10 |
| 13. CRIBS Philippines, Inc. | 10 |
| 14. Hayag Receiving Home for Children, Ormoc City | 10 |
| 15. Rainbow Village Ministries, Dumaguete City | 10 |
| 16. White Cross, Inc. | 10 |
| 17. KBF Day Care | 50 |
| 18. KBF Foster Care | 60 |
| TOTAL | 270 |
Highlight:
Holt International Children’s Services has approved to sponsor the other two hundred fifty (250) day care children thus sponsoring all the KBF 300 day care children in 2011.
IV. 2011 TARGETS/ OBJECTIVES:
| SERVICES | 2011 TARGET |
| Domestic Adoption | 35 |
| Inter-Country Adoption HOLT Europe | 12 15 |
| Foster Care | 30 admissions |
| Single Mothers | 60 admissions |
| Day Care | 300 |
| Independent Living and Educational Assistance | 16 |
| Family and Community Outreach | 800 |
| Family Reunification | 30 |
| Family Preservation | 30 |
KBF maintains a pool of technical staff of nine (9) licensed social workers including the Executive Director, one (1) community development worker who is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Social Work at the University of the Philippines and six (6) day care workers who are graduates of Early Childhood Care related courses. For the finance division, we only have a finance officer and a bookkeeper. For the administrative division, we only have eleven (11) to include the local area network (LAN) administrator, liaison officer, secretary, receptionist, clerk, houseparent, messenger, security guard, driver, janitor and housekeeper.
Our Executive Director Rosario B. dela Rosa was awarded as one of the Most Outstanding Social Workers in the Philippines by the Philippine Association of Social Workers in the Philippines during the Social Workers Convention in Cebu City On November 17-19, 2010.
