Sister Families is a program that facilitates placing babies from orphanages into loving, local families.  It was brought to the Philippines in late 2004 with a demonstration project in Bacolod City.  Some 70 infants had been moved from local institutions and placed in loving, permanent homes in the Bacolod City area.  Most of these families have now adopted their newest family member, or are in the process. 

Using the services of an experienced Adoption Social Worker, Sister Families facilitates the matching of orphaned, abandoned, and relinquished infants with loving, local Filipino families. 

Sister Families also provides advocacy, eduction and public awareness of the opportunities and benefits to both child and adoptive family of placing a child as early as possible in a home environment.

Margaret and Ron MacKenzie traveled to Bacolod City in mid 2004, to assess the needs for this type of program, to consider strategies and partners in delivering it, and to initiate public awareness through radio and television appearances.  Travel costs were provided for by Rotary International. Vancouver Quadra Rotary Club agreed to support the project as the ‘founding club’, and Bacolod West Rotary Club undertook to provide administrative and advocacy support in the Philippines.

Philippine legislation respecting foster and adoptive care was reviewed, and it was determined that an adequate legal framework already exists in the Philippines to support responsible and professional foster and adoptive placements. An experienced professional Social Worker was engaged to pursue the objectives of the Society. This Adoption Social Worker advises and supports families interested in providing a permanent home for abandoned infants, and conducts the appropriate home studies to comply with licensing procedures.

Once the family or individual has been approved by DSWD, the Adoption Social Worker, working with DSWD, arranges for them to meet a suitable infant. If all seems compatible, the infant is placed with the family, and the Social Worker monitors the placement to assist the family as it learns to care for its newest member. Because our primary purpose is to find a permanent family for these abandoned infants, priority is given to families who are interested in adoption.