Section 8Sec./Art. 8

Functions of the NACC. The NACC shall ensure that the petitions, and all other matters involving alternative child care, including the issuance of CDCLAA, and the process of domestic and inter-country adoption, foster care, kinship care, family-like care, or residential care are simple, expeditious, and inexpensive, and will redound to the best interest of the child involved.

Towards this end, the NACC Council shall act as the policy-making body and when convened as such, as an en banc appeals committee for contested denials of petitions issued by the Executive Director or the Deputy Director for Services, while the NACC Secretariat shall be responsible for the following key functions:

(a) Act and resolve petitions for the issuance of CDCLAA as provided under this Act;

(b) Facilitate, act, and resolve all matters relating domestic administrative adoption as provided in this Act;

(c) Facilitate, act, and resolve all matter relating to inter-country adoption, pursuant to Republic Act No. 8043;

(d) Facilitate, act, and resolve all matters relating to foster care pursuant to Republic Act No. 10165;

(e) Facilitate, act and resolve all matters relating to the rectification of simulated birth pursuant to Republic Act No. 11222;

(f) Supervise and control the following acts to be performed by the RACCO under the provisions of this Act;

(g) Determine action on petitions for adoption, foster care, and other forms of alternative child care that been filed through and processed by the RACCOs;

(h) Set standards and guidelines on adoption including pre- and post-legal adoption services;

(i) Convene an Independent Appeals Committee whenever necessary to be composed of professionals and experts from its CPC, to resolve appeals filed by interested parties involving denials of petitions at the RACCO level;

(j) Act as the central authority in matter relating to inter-country adoption and shall act as the policy-making body for purposed of carrying out the provisions of this Act, including Republic Act No. 8043, in consultation and coordination with the DSWD-OSWA, DFA, the different child care and placement agencies, adoptive agencies, as well as NGOs engaged in child care and placement activities, specifically the functions under Section 4 of the aforementioned law;

(k) Determine, in coordination with the DFA or the OSWA, procedures for suitable alternative care of Filipino children stranded abroad, including countries not party to the Hague Convention or have no diplomatic relations with the Philippines;

(l) Ensure that inter-country adoption will not be pursued until all possible domestic placement of the child has been exhausted;

(m) Conduct national information dissemination and advocacy campaign on alternative child care;

(n) Establish clear programs to keep children with their biological families wherever possible;

(o) Assess the progress and identify gaps in the implementation of this Act and come up with policy recommendations;

(p) Keep records of all adoption, foster care, and other alternative child care cases, and provide periodic information and reports on the performance of the agency;

(q) Conduct research on adoption, foster care, and other alternative child care policies or in related fields to further improve and strengthen the office programs and services and for policy formulation and development;

(r) Provide technical assistance and conduct capability-building activities to all concerned agencies and stakeholders;

(s) Determine and impose administrative fees;

(t) In partnership with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), provide the necessary support and technical assistance to LGUs, especially the Local Council for Protection of Children (LCPC), who are among the first responders to cases of child abandonment and voluntary commitment, on matters related to alternative child care processes and engage them during the pre-adoption process;

(u) Build linkages and partnerships with independent and private entities such as licensed and accredited child-caring institutions, foundations, and social worker groups to ease the burden on the government to monitor all petitions;

(v) Impose fines or penalties for any noncompliance with or breach of this Act, its implementing rules and regulations (IRR), and the rules and regulations which it promulgates or administers;

(w) Formulate and develop policies for programs and services relating to the process of adoption, foster care, kinship care, family-like care, or residential care; and

(x) Enforce this Act and its IRR, as well as perform all other functions necessary to carry out the objectives of this Act and other related laws, such as Republic Act No. 8043 and Republic Act No. 10165 toward the simple, expeditious, and inexpensive process relating to foster care, issuance of CDCLAA, domestic administrative adoption, and inter-country adoption, and all other forms of alternative care, that would redound to the best interest of the child.