Step 1: Choose your service provider – Child’s relative/s may inquire at the Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO) or Child Placing Agency (CPA) within the jurisdiction of his/her residence for the requirements and process of Kinship Care.

Step 2: Conduct of Parenting Capability Assessment – The RACCO/CPA social worker conducts a parenting capability assessment of the child’s relative to support his or her recommendation of the appropriate alternative care option for a child. The parenting capability assessment is a precondition before the child is placed under Kinship Care.

Step 3: Attendance to foster care forum – The child’s relative/s attends the Foster Care Forum at RACCO or CPA to know the process and requirements of Kinship Care. It also gives an opportunity for the interested individual/couple to raise his/her/their queries and share their thoughts and apprehensions on the program.

Step 4: Submission of Documentary Requirements – The child’s relative submits his/her/ their applications and complete documentary requirements, as discussed in the forum, to RACCO or CPA.

Step 5: Assessment of application – The RACCO/CPA social worker assesses the child’s relative capacity and motivation in fostering a child through home visits and collateral interviews with his/her/their family and community members. The RACCO/CPA social worker prepares a comprehensive Home Study Report (HSR) indicating his/her assessment and recommendation to the child’s relative/s based on the results of home visits and collateral interviews.

Step 5: Deliberation of Foster Care Application – The RACCO/CPA social worker presents the application of the child’s relative/s to the Regional Child Placement Committee (RCPC) for approval.

Step 6: Issuance of Foster Family Care License (FFCL) and Foster Care Identification Card (FCID) – The child’s relative/s receives the Foster Family Care (FFCL) and Foster Care Identification issued by the RACCO. His/her case is included in the roster of available foster parents.

Step 7 : Foster Care Matching – The RACCO/CPA social worker presents the foster parent and child’s case at the Foster Care Matching to determine the capacity and resources of the foster parents to provide the child’s needs.

Step 8: Receipt of acceptance from the foster parents and child’s social worker – The social worker informs the licensed foster parents or child’s relative/s the result of the matching and discusses the child’s case, as basis for his/her/their decision. The foster parent/s or child’s relative/s submits a letter to RACCO accepting the result of the matching.

Step 9: Issuance of Foster Placement Authority – The foster parent/s or child’s relative/s receives the Foster Placement Authority (FPA) from the RACCO.

Step 10: Physical entrustment of the child to the foster parent – The licensed foster parent/s or child’s relative/s brings his/her/their foster child home. Pre-placement activities (video conferencing, pre-entrustment conference, and etc.) are conducted before the actual entrustment.

Step 11: Monitoring of foster care placement – The social worker conducts home visits, monthly, or more frequently as needed for the first three months and bi-monthly thereafter, to monitor the foster child’s adjustment in the foster home as well as monitor the licensed foster parent or child’s
relative/s handling of their foster parenting roles and responsibilities. During home visits, the RACCO/CPA social worker provides updates the licensed foster parent on the status of the placement of his/her/their foster child either he/she is to be returned to his/her biological family or
already available for adoption, or he/she will have to stay longer with them due to reasons concerning the permanent placement of the child.

Step 12: Discharge of foster child to foster home – The foster child is discharged from his/her foster home when reunified with his/her birth parents or placed to another appropriate alternative care programs and services.