IS PHYSICAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN ON THE RISE?
Lately we have received several cases that involve physical abuse with children arriving with black eyes and contusions on their bodies from being beaten by one of their parents. Usually it is the father and the circumstances frequently involve alcohol or the effect of drugs.
On the whole, the Philippines is a fairly traditional culture when it comes to disciplining children and it is not uncommon to see a parent chasing after their child with a broom (silhig) or a branch taken from a nearby tree (a coathanger is another favorite item to use in this country). If a parent is not in control of their own emotions this can result in some serious injuries.
One of the problems with this approach is that the children quickly learn that violence gives you power over others and they begin to use that strategy among their peers and their first reaction during a confrontation is to use their fists against their opponent instead of resolving the conflict in a calm manner.
This aggressive behavior is clearly displayed by the children that are admitted to our center from abusive homes; they will be physically violent towards other residents and even fight their own siblings during the first few weeks. In extreme cases they will also lash out at the staff who are patiently giving them the tools they need to handle their anger more effectively and it takes time for these damaged children to learn better ways to control their emotions.
Through counselling, positive rewards and setting a good example for the children to follow, our professional team of staff can slowly change the behavior of these physically abused children and help them to become happier kids that can socially interact with other children and achieve their dreams of a better life. Your kind donations help us to literally save the lives of these vulnerable and innocent children and remove them from a dangerous situation, giving them the opportunity to be in a safe environment and loving home.
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Celebrating important events
There are many reasons to celebrate important events in a child’s early life, particularly children that have been deprived of such occasions prior to admission to Angel House Orphanage. Events such as birthdays, Easter, Christmas and New Year can create positive memories that will help a child to recover from previous traumatic events in their young lives.
When you are living in an orphanage with many other children your individuality can sometimes get lost in the routines of the center and communal living. Celebrating a birthday is a great way to give a child a very special day when they become the center of attention and they can share a birthday cake with all their friends. Taking a photo helps the child to create a special memory that will be theirs forever.
Most families in the Philippines celebrate Christmas with church, special food and perhaps a visit to the beach, but very few children will receive gifts. We are lucky to have secret Santas that provide several personalized gifts for every child and so it is an event that they always look forward to. We also have a big Christmas party for our residents, scholars and recipients of our feeding program.
Some of our children return to their families at New Year to spend a few days bonding with relatives; the remaining children visit the homes of our caregivers to celebrate New Year in a family setting. At Easter we have a traditional Easter egg hunt in the garden of Angel House with hundreds of chocolate eggs for the children to find. Feasting on the delicious candies definitely provides a special memory!
Your donations help to create these positive memories that enable a child to recover from painful events in their young lives, such as physical abuse, severe neglect or abandonment. Together we can give them a brighter future with a loving family.
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Adoption without a lawyer
Last year the government passed Republic Act R.A.11642, otherwise known the ‘Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Care Act’, which now streamlines the process of adoption here in the Philippines.
All local adoptions in this country are processed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and in the past adoptive parents had to make the adoption legal by hiring a lawyer and going through the court system, which is notoriously slow, taking many months to complete and also very expensive.
Under this new process, everything will now be done through the DSWD by a new department called the National Authority for Child Care (NACC), so they will complete the legal adoption paperwork, saving a lot of time and money for the adoptive parents. This will also encourage more people to consider adoption as there are still many children looking for a new family.
This new act will also reduce the number of illegal adoptions here in the Philippines, something that continues to be a big problem; parents making false birth certificates or mothers giving their newborn babies away to someone. The DSWD now insists on all adoptions being done legally through the NACC and will take into custody a child from someone who has not followed the new law. That is how a one-month-old baby boy arrived in Angel House last November and our social worker will now follow the legal process for the safety of the child.
Your donations help us to rescue these illegally adopted children as well as newborns that are abandoned in the street and neglected kids that need our loving care and protection. We consider the new law to be a positive step in making the adoption process faster and less expensive for adoptive parents here in the Philippines.
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BEING A DISABLED CHILD IN THE PHILIPPINES
Living in a third world country is challenging enough for anyone, but having a physical or mental disability here in the Philippines makes everyday life even more problematic. Whether it is finding the correct medical treatment, physical therapy, education or residential facilities, it is a challenge for every family with a disabled child.
Things are definitely improving and most buildings are now wheelchair accessible, though the sidewalk to reach them may be impossible for those in wheelchairs to travel along. Medical facilities are slowly improving, though the waiting time for treatment can be agonizingly long and trying to obtain free medical care is often complicated. There are many NGO’s that dedicate their funds and staff to helping various disability groups if you know where to find them and the government does have special schools in most areas that will accept children with a variety of different disabilities.
In our region of the country the government recently opened an excellent residential facility for children with profound disabilities and last year we actually transferred one of our children to that center; the little boy had a severe case of cerebral palsy and was blind, could not swallow food or control his limbs. They have the medical staff and physiotherapists that can best address his special needs.
We also have a special needs school (SPED) in our small town and we have a six-year old boy enrolled there, he was so happy to go to school like his older brother and is excited when he comes home from his morning class. He is deaf and so he is learning sign language and our staff are also learning this method of communication. He also needs major surgery to resolve other medical issues and so we are slowly making our way through the complex process to get that done (six month waiting list). Meanwhile, we will focus on having his hearing tested again to see if a hearing aid will be of any use; again we know an NGO that will gives us a free hearing test and a free hearing aid if he needs one.
So there are rays of hope through the dark days that everyone with a disability goes through, but there are still many families that either are not aware of available treatment that may be free, or choose not to do anything to help their child have a better life. The government does give a small financial allowance to parents with a disabled child, but of course it is never enough to give them the fulfilling life they truly deserve.
We thank all of you that donate to charities that help those with a disability that gives them more opportunities for a fulfilling life without pain and enables them to become an integral part of their community.
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ADOPTION IN THE PHILIPPINES
Deciding that a child in our care needs a new family is not a decision that is taken lightly and our social worker will always explore other options, such as finding other relatives that may be willing to take custody or providing temporary care until the parent(s) are capable of caring for their child. Even when the parent(s) voluntary surrender their child, they are given three months in which to change their decision. If a child has been abandoned, our social worker is legally obligated to make every effort to trace any relatives by radio and newspaper advertisements, following up any potential addresses of family members.
There are many people here in the Philippines that do not know the adoption process and think that they can adopt a child directly from our orphanage; I always have to inform them that they have to go to their nearest DSWD office to obtain the requirements to become approved adoptive parents. The process for adoption here in the Philippines is not expensive and only takes about nine months to complete, so we encourage people to consider adoption and becoming the forever family for a needy child.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is the government agency that will declare a child legally available for adoption, based on all the paperwork submitted by our social worker. Then the child will be matched by a panel of experts to parents that have already gone through the process to become approved adoptive parents. Sometimes, there are no suitable parents available and the child’s case will go to the Inter Country Adoption Board (ICAB) for international adoption (this often happens for older children).
The Philippines is a signatory to the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of intercountry Adoptions – currently ratified by 95 countries. This Convention is an important development for children, birth families and prospective foreign adopters. It sets out obligations for the authorities of countries from which children leave for adoption, and those that are receiving these children. The Convention is designed to ensure ethical and transparent processes. This international legislation gives paramount consideration to the best interests of the child and provides the framework for the practical application of the principles regarding inter-country adoption contained in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. These include ensuring that adoptions are authorized only by competent authorities, guided by informed consent of all concerned, that intercountry adoption enjoys the same safeguards and standards which apply in national adoptions, and that intercountry adoption does not result in improper financial gain for those involved in it.
For international adoption, the process can take several years and it is also very expensive, but at least you know that the child you are adopting really needs a new family and that very high standards of care and protection have been followed, under the guiding principles of the Hague convention.
Angel House has processed twenty-five adoptions with children going to Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, USA, Canada and Sweden, inclusing six children adopted here in the Philippines. Thanks to your kind donations we will continue to find forever families for our children that need loving parents.
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