It was a quick visit to Eastern Visayas (EV) region, but Holt International Children’s Services Director of Programs for South and Southeast Asis, Jennifer Goette, was happy with the result of her rounds to three of eight foster families subsidized by the child welfare organization to which she belongs.

Goette was recently in the region to see how the said families are coping with their foster children. She was pleased to know that even with the small monthly support of Php 2,000.00 from the agency, they displayed real affection as well as commitment to care a child, not of their own.

The visiting Director said she was fully convinced that theirs was unconditional love for their foster children, such that Goette was given assurance by the families that they could still continue having them for temporary custody, even though said organization will stop sponsoring the Kaisahang Buhay Foundation (KBF).

Locally, the program is being managed by the KBF (an associate agency of the former), in close partnership with the DSWD, Reyschel Balase, the focal person of the DSWD Foster Care Service reported.   Said Balase, the foundation was licensed by the Department as a child placing agency way back in year 1983, and is now the only non – government organization in the country implementing adoption.

Balase, further revealed that the foster children being sponsored by Holt International Children’s Services are all coming from the Reception and Study Center for Children – a child-caring facility of the DSWD for six-year-old and below orphaned/abandoned/neglected/surrendered//abused/exploited children.

For DSWD Field Office Eight, there are currently 230 foster families in the region – eight are subsidized under the Department’s regular program, while 222 are volunteer foster families.