Legazpi City –“Placing in a Center is the last recourse to be undertaken to the clients, if they have families or relatives who can assume the custody,take that option”, stressed by DSWD Assistant Regional Director for Administration Victoria C. Tagum during the Reorientation to the Local Social Welfare and Development Officers (LSWDOs) on residential care facilities held at Hotel Venezia, Legazpi City on August 9, 2017.

According to Ms. Cresencia P. Deri, Social Welfare Officer V & Regional Center Coordinator of the DSWD, the activity aims to retool the LSWDO partners along policy on admission, programs and services of the residential care facilities and their roles in the care and after care service of the referred clients.

Other highlights of the activity were orientations on Alternative Parental Care & Business Process of Republic Act 9523, an act requiring DSWD’s certification on adoption, Parents Readiness for Reunification and Gender Responsive Case Management.

The said orientation was attended by the Provincial / City / Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officers of Albay.

Meanwhile, to sustain the Level III accreditation of the 3 centers, a mid-year assessment will be conducted on August 10-11, 2017. This aims to assess the plans versus accomplishment and address the implementation gaps of the residential care facilities.

According to Deri, some 122 clients are currently being served in the residential care facilities of the DSWD Bicol.

Twenty-five (25) children from the Reception and Study Center for Children (RSCC), twenty-seven (27) women from Haven for Women and Girls both located in Ligao City and seventy (70) youth from Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (RRCY) in Sorsogon City.

Reception and Study Center for Children (RSCC) is a child-caring institution that provides services to abandoned, neglected and/or surrendered children 0-6 years of age. The primary aim of the center is to help the child achieve survival, development, and rehabilitation.

On the other hand, Haven for Women and Girls provides temporary shelter and protective custody to women ages 18-59 years old who are victims of involuntary or forced prostitution, illegal recruitment, battered/abused women, victims of sexual abuse, women in detention, women victims or armed conflict and others.

Further, the Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (RRCY) provides temporary shelter, care and protection to children in especially difficult circumstances ages 7-17 who are either neglected, maltreated, exploited, orphaned, abandoned and emotionally or physically abused. The services aim to help the children develop self-worth and positive outlook in life and to reunite them with their families, relatives or their former custodian.