Section 7Sec./Art. 7

Composition of the NACC. The NACC shall be composed of a Council and a Secretariat.

The Council shall be composed of the Secretary of the DSWD as ex officio chairperson and six (6) other members, who are to be appointed by the President for a nonrenewable term of six (6) years: Provided, That there shall be appointed one (1) psychiatrist or psychologist, two (2) lawyers who shall have at least the qualifications of a Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge, one (1) registered social worker, and two (2) representatives from NGOs engaged in child-caring and child-placing activities.

The members of the Council shall receive a reasonable per diem allowance for each meeting attended.

The Council shall act as the policy-making body for purposes of carrying out the provisions of this Act and shall formulate child welfare policies which shall constantly adjust to ongoing studies on alternative child care. En banc, it shall serve as Appeals Committee for contested denials of petitions issued by the Executive Director or the Deputy Director for Services.

The Secretariat shall implement and execute policies on alternative child care pursuant to the provisions of this Act. It shall be headed by an Executive Director, with the rank of an Undersecretary who shall be assisted by two (2) deputy directors, one (1) for services and another one (1) for administration and finance with the rank of Assistant Secretary.

The Deputy Director for Services shall, pursuant to the provisions of this Act, assist the Executive Director in the supervision and monitoring of the overall process for alternative child care, including declaring a child legally available for adoption, domestic, and inter-country adoption, foster care, residential care, family-like care, and kinship care, as well as the provision of child and family welfare services.

The NACC may hire professionals and various experts, who shall form part of the CPC to be composed of a child psychiatrist or psychologist, a medical doctor, a lawyer, an adoption social worker, a representative of an NGO engaged in child welfare, and any other professionals, as may be needed, to provide the necessary assistance to the Deputy Director for Services and Executive Director in reviewing petitions for adoption.

The Deputy Director for Administration and Finance shall be in charge of human resource development and management, property and logistics management, assets and financial management, and other administrative support services.