The Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO) has intensified monitoring and accreditation of child-caring centers in Central Luzon to ensure the safety, welfare, and well-being of children under their care.
RACCO Social Welfare Officer Gezelle Anne Garcia said the Standards Accreditation and Monitoring Section regularly inspects both public and private centers to check compliance with child protection and care standards.
“Currently, we monitor 64 centers across Region 3 each semester. Our goal is to ensure the physical, emotional, and basic needs of children are met, and that no child stays permanently in a center,” Garcia explained.
RACCO Social Welfare Officer Kristene Joy Manlutac noted that monitoring follows Memorandum Circular No. 3, series of 2024, which mandates that children stay in centers for no more than three months before being reunited with their families or placed in adoption or foster care.
“With the support of our officer-in-charge, we now have additional social welfare officers to strengthen monitoring. We hope that children who have been abandoned or neglected will find families through adoption or foster care,” Manlutac added.
Garcia emphasized that coordination with local social welfare and development offices is key in handling cases of abandoned or rescued children. She noted that only 11 out of 137 local government units in Central Luzon operate their own centers, making private-run centers vital partners in child care.
Licensing and accreditation of centers remain under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), while RACCO focuses on certifying and assessing adoption and alternative child care programs.
“Centers must first be accredited by the DSWD before we can certify them, ensuring that proper standards are followed and children are protected,” Garcia said. She added that RACCO’s goal is to ensure every child grows up in a family environment, not in institutions.
RACCO also encourages the private sector to donate diapers, clothes, and other essentials for children, noting that such acts of kindness make a significant difference in making children feel loved and cared for. (PIA Region 3-Pampanga | Aldrin Joshua P. Mallari)
